


Dimensions

by celedan



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Anal Sex, Attempted Suicide, Courting Rituals, First Time, M/M, Mention of attempted rape, Parallel Universes, Planet Vegeta Still Exists, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-23 00:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18538156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celedan/pseuds/celedan
Summary: Piccolo and Krillin get sucked into a parallel universe where they find themselves on planet Vegeta. To occupy themselves until their friends rescue them through the Dragonballs, they join the palace guards. After they have learned of Freezer's plan to conquer the Saiyans by defeating Vegeta (and marrying him afterwards) in an old ritual courting tournament the King revived because Vegeta refused to choose a mate on his own, they know they have to do something. Piccolo decides to fight - and win - the tournament.





	Dimensions

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Dimensionen - German](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15002609) by [celedan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celedan/pseuds/celedan). 



> This story was heavily inspired by "Kingdom Come" by DeanyBean & Summer Starr only that my story isn't as dark and sad as Kingdom Come. You should really read it, but notice that sometimes, it's really hard to stomach.
> 
> And here you can see a picture of how I imagine Vegeta looking like for the tournament final: https://www.deviantart.com/celedansuniverse/art/Prince-Vegeta-750854380  
> And also a picture of the kiss after the victory over Freezer: https://www.deviantart.com/celedansuniverse/art/Piccolo-and-Vegeta-Victory-over-Freezer-584703642

“What am I, the royal brood mare?” Vegeta spat, beside himself with rage. Agitatedly, he paced up and down in front of his father's throne whose inscrutable look followed his son, endeavouring to stay calm. 

“Don't be ridiculous, but you know perfectly well that you have to uphold our line. I don't care if you carry the heir yourself or if you mate a bearer and impregnate him.” 

“Why, thank you. Good to know I have that many options.” 

“Why are you getting your knickers in a twist. You know your duties being the crown prince.”

“Yes, I know. But that doesn't have to mean that I like them.” 

“I never said that.” 

“It's not my duties I struggle against. I only refuse to be the prize for this tournament. Do you think I'll marry any idiot who just happens along?” 

“If he defeats you, he'd be worthy of you, and your children would have enormous potential.” 

“Just thinking about having to yield to the winner while nobody cares who he is makes me sick. It's dishonouring and humiliates me if I can't chose for myself.” 

“You know perfectly well that not all marriages are entered out of love but mostly for political reasons.”

“But you and Papa at least had a say. I don't if you revive this tradition,” the prince hissed, looking at his father accusingly. “I'll never surrender to someone stronger!” 

“Then I don't get the fuss you're making, get yourself a mate,” the king demanded. “The first thing I'll do then is forget this tradition again. I only revived it because of your stubborn refusal to take a weaker mate who isn't worthy of you. But you don't want a stronger mate either. I think you don't know what you want yourself.”

“It's not so easy,” Vegeta replied bitterly, and turned away. “I want the One.”

“You demand high standards, my son. Few find their soul mate.”

“I know,” he whispered. 

“I'm sorry if neither you nor myself can meet my requirements, but that doesn't change my decision. This tournament  _ will _ take place, and either you marry the victor, or you find someone out of your own accord.” The king thought the discussion was finished with that. 

Vegeta's gaze was stubborn and desperate when he glared at his father who returned his gaze equally as relentless. Furious, he ground his teeth. “Then at least grant me the right to fight against the victor. Should he defeat me, I will marry him.” 

The king, having been sure to have won this argument only a few seconds ago, sighed. “You're the strongest of our people. Nobody can defeat you.”

“Maybe not a Saiyan, but maybe somebody else,” Vegeta pointed out which made the king listen attentively all of a sudden in wonder.

“You would bind yourself to another race?”

Lost, the prince shrugged. “I am aware that the right one doesn't have to be one of my own people. Maybe I find him this way.”

The king frowned. “You're making things too easy. The universe is huge, and why should the one you may love be among the competitors.” 

Vegeta shrugged once more. “Why shouldn't he? You don't leave me a choice anyway, so at least grant me this without questioning my motives.” 

“Very well. I promise, my son.”

 

This strange, oversized marble started shining stronger with every passing second. A highly dis-quietening feeling settled in Krillin's stomach. 

Overcome with sudden panic, he shoved Trunks and Goten in the direction of the exit. “Get out of here! Now!” he cried, and fore once, the two brats obeyed. He only hoped that they wouldn't return into this room, lured back by their unhealthy curiosity, and instead would get some help. 

The light became stronger and stronger, and he protectively wrenched up his arms in front of his eyes. He just knew that it hadn't been a good idea to let the brats go rampage through the palace unsupervised. Figures that they found an ominous artefact in one of the rooms, and then manage to activate it. It had merely been a question of time that something like this would happen. And why the heck had it to be Krillin of all people who had to catch them at it?! The hell spawn happened to have parents who were responsible for handling something like that.

“What the Hell's going on?!”

Relieved, Krillin breathed out, but he didn't turn around to Piccolo since he wouldn't have been able to see anything anyway because of the bright light.

“Piccolo, do something,” he shouted. 

“I can't,” the Namek promptly replied. 

“What?!” Krillin cried in shock, and spun around to Piccolo after all. 

Then, everything went black. 

 

“Krillin. You okay?”

Krillin grumbled and grouched when he was shaken rather rudely, but nonetheless, he opened his eyes, blinking into the bright daylight. Still a little dazed, and blessed with a hellish headache, he recognised the voice calling him. 

Then, he suddenly opened his eyes when he remembered what had happened not long ago. Abruptly, he sat up, but regretted it immediately when everything started to spin around him. 

He felt a big, cool hand on his back. “Hush, take in deep breaths,” Piccolo murmured, and his dark voice rolled over Krillin like a gentle cooling breeze. He flinched when Piccolo suddenly put his other hand on his throbbing temple. But his pain didn't intensify but rather disappeared completely after some time through Piccolo's touch until the only thing left was a faint echo of the pain in his head.

“Wow, thanks, Piccolo,” he sighed in relief, and looked at his friend for the first time. Piccolo returned his gaze, serious and concerned which, for Krillin, was the first sign that something wasn't right here at all. Alarmed, he looked around, and had to swallow. They were on a wide grassy plain, nobody in sight far and wide. The sun – no, scratch that: the suns shone down on them hotly from out of the blue sky. 

“Piccolo,” Krillin mumbled shakily.

“Yes?”

“There are two suns in the sky.”

“I know.”

“Where are we?”

“That I don't know.”

“Okay.” 

_ Okay _ , he repeated in his mind. There weren't that much possibilities. Either they were dead or this artefact had transported them onto another planet. Or the past. There was this room at the Lookout, wasn't it... Shit, hopefully, it wasn't that... 

“What are we gonna do now?” he mumbled helplessly, and looked up to Piccolo. A little discouraged, the Namek's shoulders sagged.

Krillin had to swallow. He didn't like Piccolo's despondent mood one bit. Normally, the clever Namek always had a plan. He had to have one now as well! 

Frustrated, Krillin jumped up, and spun around on his own axis to once more scan his surroundings. In the middle of a spin, he stopped abruptly again so that he almost lost his balance. 

“Look, there's a city,” he cried, flailing his arms so that he didn't fall over. 

At his outcry, Piccolo spun around as well, annoyed that he hadn't scanned the area more closely earlier. But apart from checking for any immediate dangers lurking about, he had to admit that he hadn't been in any condition to bother much with their otherwise harmless surroundings. 

Indeed, a huge city rose on the horizon. 

“Question is if that's of any help to us,” he grumbled.

Krillin's excited expression darkened again. “You're right. We still have no idea where we are.” He exchanged disappointed looks between Piccolo and the distant city. “You think we should risk it? Maybe we'll find a spaceship there that can take us back to Earth.”

Sceptical, Piccolo frowned, and intently pondered the pros and cons of this plan. In the end though, he couldn't help but consent to Krillin's suggestion since he didn't see any alternative at the moment. They really had to find out where the Hell they were first. 

Therefore, he nodded eventually. “We should be very careful, though.”

“Sure, I'm a big boy and can erase my ki,” the smaller warrior replied sarcastically. 

Piccolo's only answer was an apologetic grumbling. 

So, the two floated into the air, and headed for the city visible on the horizon even if they made only slow progress because of their suppressed energies. 

 

“If we at least knew on which planet we are,” Krillin called after a while above the noise of the headwind. “Then, I wouldn't be scared stiff to enter this city where who knows what sickos live. Worst case, we've ended up on Freezer's home planet or something the like.”

Hesitantly, Piccolo started speaking. “I wasn't completely sure earlier, but... the closer we get to this city...” He looked at Krillin from the side emphatically. “You feel these ki?” 

Krillin frowned while he concentrated. “Hm, yeah, they're somehow familiar,” he admitted eventually. 

“They're Saiyans.”

“What?! Are you sure?!” Shocked, he stopped his flight abruptly, and stared at Piccolo who stopped as well.

“Mhmm, you agreed that they are familiar,” the Namek said. 

“Yeah, sure... but... wouldn't that mean that we... are in the past?!” Damn. Figures that it had to be  _ this _ option. 

“That's exactly what this means. The only question is, when.”

“Oh, shit,” he moaned. ”Nice mess we've manoeuvred ourselves into.” 

“Not us: The boys,” Piccolo corrected grumpily.

“Right. They're in for it when we're back home.” 

“Vegeta's probably at it right now. We've got other worries at the moment.”

”Yes. Do you know what that means?”

“That a spaceship will be useless,” the Namek concluded.

“Exactly!” Short off a panic attack, Krillin nonetheless tried to keep as calm as Piccolo. 

“We could go to Namek, and ask the Nameks if we can use their Dragonballs.”

This idea managed to calm Krillin down somewhat again. “Do you think the Dragonballs will manage?” he asked, filled with new hope. “To transport us into the future?”

Confident, Piccolo shrugged. “I think so.”

“Okay. Sounds like a plan to me. And otherwise, maybe Earth's Dragonballs of this time could help. After all, we would be on the right planet that way. Maybe that works better.”

“Hmhm. For that, we have to find out which year we're in. Earth's of no use to us if they haven't any Dragonballs yet.”

“Right. But lets keep in mind; we need a spaceship no matter what we do. And how will we procure one if we don't want to steal it?”

“Maybe they have some kind of tournaments here. We could pay for a space flight with the prize money. The Saiyans of the past shouldn't pose a problem for us strength-wise.”

“We could try working.”

“What could we possible work as?”

“No idea. Just a thought for later.”

“The best way not to attract too much attention is to blend in,” Piccolo agreed after some teeth-grinding.

“Provided, there's aliens living on this planet. Otherwise we'd stand out like colourful dogs,” Krillin cautioned despite his, in his opinion, rather brilliant idea.

“Provided, there's aliens living here,” Piccolo sighed the affirmative.

 

The city grew before them with every passing minute they approached. After half an hour of flight, they were so close already that they could make out details.

The architecture was a strange mixture of very old looking stone buildings and towers as well as very modern iron and glass buildings, not that different from Earth's skyscrapers. A huge stone palace rose above this mix of buildings like a cowering beast. The palace seemed, as far as Piccolo could see from their position, to have been formed right out of the mountains it nestled against, and which grew to an imposing range of mountains in the distance.

A lot of the smaller houses seemed to be hewn right out of the rocks as well. For the most part, they were grouping around the palace, therefore they were probably the origin core of the city. The modern glass buildings arranged themselves around the older houses or were squeezed between them mercilessly.

All in all, this seemed to be like a completely normal city that could have been found on Earth as well. 

With the small difference that this city was full of Saiyans. 

Krillin felt a little uneasy when they landed in the city. Although his best friend was a Saiyan, Krillin hadn't forgotten that these people had no sense of humour whatsoever. Vegeta's moods up until today sometimes reminded him sharply of that fact. To be amongst them here and now was a strange feeling. Sure, by now, they were so strong that even Krillin would have probably no problem against a Saiyan, but this was a whole city full of Saiyans, damnit.

Therefore, it was even more important: Not stand out!

Strolling through the streets with some caution – but nonetheless with barely concealed interest –, luckily none of the Saiyans looked at them, and they even spotted a few curious alien races who seemed to move amongst the Saiyans completely naturally.

“Puh, seems as if people from other planets is nothing special around here,” Krillin murmured, and Piccolo nodded. “We're incredibly lucky. We could have been thrown back towards a time where the Saiyans haven't attempted space travel yet.”

“Dude, that would have been some riot.”

“But nonetheless, we still don't know which year exactly we have landed in.”

Krillin sighed. “Are there no newspapers?” he pouted morosely, and looked around searchingly if he couldn't spot something like a news vendor. “It's not as if we could ask someone. They'll think we're nuts.”

“Look,” Piccolo suddenly said, and pointed at a store window they just passed. 

“Oh, he looks like Vegeta!” Krillin exclaimed in surprise while he pressed the proverbial nose against the display window of the Saiyan equivalent of an electrical appliance store.

Spellbound, they stared at the TV-like apparatus behind the glass. It showed a Saiyan who looked exactly like Vegeta, apart from his beard.

“Mhm, and look who's standing behind him,” Piccolo suddenly murmured darkly. 

“Oh damn. That  _ is _ Vegeta!”

“I agree. How old do you think he is?”

Surprised, Krillin looked up at Piccolo after hearing his dark tone of voice. “Why?” he asked, puzzled, but then looked back at the prince. “Well, maybe eighteen or nineteen. But why does that worry you so much, Piccolo?” 

“Easy. I heard Vegeta tell Goku once that Freezer destroyed the planet shortly after Goku's birth. Vegetas was five years old at that time.”

At first, Krillin still didn't get it, but then, his eyes widened in shock. “B-but... that would mean that we not only landed in the past, but in a... i-in a...”

“Parallel universe, yes. Maybe now, you understand my worries.”

“Oh shit, what are we gonna do?” Krillin screeched hysterically. 

“Not scream like a banshee for starters,” Piccolo hissed, and pulled Krillin away from the window into a nearby back alley. “I don't know what we're gonna do,” Piccolo admitted, dejected. “Worst case, we'll have to accept to spend the rest of our lives here.”

“What?! No, it can't be. What about my family?!” 

Piccolo shook his head. “I don't know. I'm sorry.” 

”B-but the others will surely look for us. They can bring us back with the Dragonballs, right.” Until now, he hadn't come up with that idea yet. Why should they go looking for the Dragonballs laboriously when their friends could simply bring them back after their disappearance had been noticed. 

”Let's hope so. Nonetheless, some time could pass until they've found us or even understand what happened. We should think about how we want to get by in the meantime.” 

Krillin swallowed, but got a grip onto himself – for one because Piccolo seemed so collected, and therefore, he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of him, on the other hand, because the spark of hope at the prospect of not having to spend the rest of his life here let him take courage again. “All right,” he explained, full of new determination. “I stay with my suggestion: We should look for a job.”

“What?!” Now it was Piccolo's turn to look shocked. He stared at Krillin as if he had lost his mind now completely. “I was willing to work for a short time to get us a ticket on a spaceship, but long-term?! Again: What work are we supposed to do?!”

Krillin rolled his eyes; he really understood that it would be a complete turn-around for Piccolo to have to do such normal things like going to work or doing the shopping. If you thought closely about it, most of his friends were the rather withdrawn kind of guys. Piccolo only capped it all by living in Kami's palace high above Earth, and before that, he had spend his whole live in the wilderness. Smiling good-naturedly, he shook his head. “Well, think about it. We've got to find a way to feed ourselves. And stealing from the Saiyans probably isn't the healthiest survival tactic.” 

As sudden as his shocked surprise had flared, it was gone again, and Piccolo straightened, utterly collected again. He cleared his throat. “Well,” he replied a little embarrassed about his outburst. “You're right, of course. But wouldn't it be more sensible to look for work outside the city? We could retreat into the wilderness, period.” 

“You're one to talk. You only live on water. But what about me?! Who knows what horrible creatures live here, and if they are even edible. No thanks, that's too dangerous for my taste. It's way more save in the city. And besides...” Questioningly, Krillin looked up at Piccolo. “Aren't you curious how the Saiyans live? That's our chance to learn more about them.”

Piccolo sensed that Krillin wouldn't be swayed, so, eventually, he nodded his consent. “All right. As you wish.” His indifferent words belied his inner constitution. He'd rather taken on every monster out in the wilderness than have to survive in this crowded city. He would never admit it, but he was a little scared to have to stay among so many people for an indefinite period. He just wasn't used to it. And then, it had to be Saiyans of all people. If Vegeta was a typical Saiyan, then they were sitting on a powder keg which could explode with the smallest provocation. 

He flinched when Krillin's hand suddenly slapped his arm amicably. Darkly, he looked down on to his small companion. “Come on,” Krillin said. “Now, don't be so grumpy. It's gonna be all right.” 

Exasperated and frustrated, Piccolo shook his head. He really didn't know where Krillin got his sudden confidence from.

“Since neither you nor I have any other skills than fighting, maybe we should enlist with the royal guards or something.”

That wasn't maybe the best idea, thought Piccolo, but he couldn't think of a better one at the  moment.

“They better not send us into space. The Hell I will, squeezing into a small pod.”

Grinning a little too brightly, Krillin nodded, and shoved Piccolo in the direction of the main street again. Back there, he looked around if he could spot a Saiyan that didn't look too scary so that he could ask him for directions. “ Strange,” he mumbled casually while watching the passersby. “I don't see any women...”

Then, he suddenly spied an older-looking kind of guy who appeared relatively harmless – if you could call a Saiyan harmless. But hey, take a deep breath and get to it. They could have fared much worse if they had indeed landed on Freezer's home planet.

“Excuse me,” he called, and hurried over to the man. 

He looked down at Krillin darkly but clearly surprised. 

“Ehm, do you know where we can enlist for the palace guards?” 

The old Saiyan – who didn't look any older than in his forties, but after all, Krillin knew that Saiyans stayed young until old age, and their ages were therefore hard to guess – scrutinised Krillin from head to toe with a raised eyebrow, but he didn't make any comments. “The barracks are right next to the palace,” he answered grumpily, and nodded his head at the huge building rising above everything. “Ask for Kraton. He's instructor for the new recruits. And you're lucky. Today's the last day for enlisting this year.”

“Well, then we really have pig. Thanks.” Politely, Krillin bowed before the older man, and then ran back to Piccolo. 

The Saiyan looked after the high-spirited alien-youngster, shaking his head as he wondered about young people's language today – surely, his friends couldn't tell him either what a “pig” was supposed to be – before he went his way. 

“Come on, I know the way,” Krillin declared, and started moving. 

With mixed feelings, Piccolo followed him.

 

About half an hour later, they had crossed the city on foot. Flying seemed much too insecure with all the air gliders racing around. Entering the city had already been a roller coaster ride of trying to dodge all the flying vehicles. 

In wonder, they now stood in front of the palace, and they had to tilt their heads back pretty far to even see the top. 

“That must have been one Hell of a mountain, what a bunch of work!” Krillin reverently admired the masterly performance of the masons while he tried to estimate how high and wide that monster was.

“You think it's going to be as tough as they all say?”

“My father was trained under old Kraton. He said it was Hell.” 

The two friends spun around when they picked up these words by chance. Two very young looking Saiyans rushed past them alongside the eastern palace walls.

Piccolo and Krillin looked at each other before they silently agreed to follow those two.

Barely five minutes later, the reached a huge gate. In front of it, a desk had been set up with a Saiyan in armour sitting behind it. A long row of recruits lined up before the desk to wait for their chance to enlist. 

For a moment, they watched the future guards who not only were made up of Saiyans, as well as the soldier who sat at the register table, unsure if they really should do this. With a shrug, they went to the end of the line to wait.

“Piccolo,” Krillin whispered, suddenly very urgently, when, after half an hour, there were only a few men ahead of them still. 

“What is it?”

“We don't have any ID,” he hissed. “Can you conjure up something like that?”

“For that, I'd have to know what something like this looks like around here – if there is such a thing in the first place –, but I can reassure you. He just wants to know your name.”

Surprised and relieved, Krillin looked up to his friend. “A cheer for Namekian ears,” he mumbled, and then relaxed. 

When it was finally their turn, enlisting went surprisingly fast, and in not time, Piccolo and Krillin were part of the royal palace guards of the planet Vegeta. Together with the crowd of other recruits, they went into the palace, following an older Saiyan through long, maze-like corridors. It would take ages to find their way around, Krillin moaned inwardly.

“Hey, Krillin.”

Piccolo's hand on his shoulder made him slow down, and he looked up to the Namekian questioningly.

“We should be careful with our powers so that we don't attract too much attention,” Piccolo suggested softly. 

Krillin frowned, but nodded eventually. “You're right. The people around here are much weaker than we are. I'll be careful.” 

“Good.”

 

“You're insufferable lately!” Nappa whined, and stared at Vegeta accusingly.

“Guess why,” the prince growled softly, but Nappa didn't hear him. 

“You know what you need? A good, hard fuck.” 

Radditz flinched upon hearing Nappa's insolent words, and Vegeta froze.

“Really. And who did you have in mind?” the prince hissed icily. “You think I'll let the first baka that happens to cross my way mount me!?”

“If that's your only problem... I could name you a few guys with satisfying stamina.”

Radditz flinched again while the vein on Vegeta's temple throbbed harder and harder with every second. 

“Nappa, I'd really advice you to be quiet now if you want to live to see tomorrow,” the prince threatened calmly which finally made even Nappa realise how serious the situation was. Horrified how severely he had overstepped his mark, he deeply bowed his head before Vegeta. “Forgive me, Your Highness,” he begged meekly.

“Hmpf,” Vegeta growled. “I'm surrounded by horny, old perverts.”

“Hey!” his two bodyguards cried as one. 

“All right, I take back the old.” 

“And you only think about training instead, and have no fun at all,” Nappa countered, once more a little cheeky.

“I have fun while training. At least that way, I don't have to endure incompetent partners.”

“You'll rather find a competent partner for your bed than the ring,” Radditz now grumbled as well.

“Bah, why am I still talking to you bakas?!” Vegeta hissed, peeved since he couldn't think of a cutting reply. “You are my bodyguards, not my chaperones.” 

“Hmpf, it's  _ not _ his decency we're concerned about – rather the opposite,” Nappa contradicted after Vegeta was out of ear-shot. 

“I don't think sex would mellow him. Especially not with the current situation with his father threatening to force him again.” 

“Oh, right. Then, maybe my suggestion wasn't really appropriate.” 

“No, not really,” Radditz concurred in exasperation. “You know how touchy he reacts.” 

“Wouldn't be so bad if he'd only reign in his pride, and accept a mate that's not as strong as him.” 

“But he  _ is _ proud,” Radditz sighed. “And nobody can defeat him.” 

”Wrong. You know who's stronger? Freezer.” Nappa looked at Radditz grimly who was surprised about so much prospective level-headedness of his colleague. His expression turned dark as well at Nappa's words. 

“I didn't think of that. Vegeta probably either.” 

“Hmhm. Let's pray that Freezer never learns about this tournament, and gets it in his head to register for it. It would kill Vegeta.” 

Radditz nodded darkly while they made to follow their prince. “It's a miracle that he never noticed in all these years...” 

 

Fuming with rage and frustration, Vegeta stormed through the palace corridors on his way to the trainings rooms. Nappa and his insolent gob! How dared the older Saiyan talk to him like that, them being friends aside!? 

The inappropriate comment of the gigantic warrior only called to mind painfully that the bloody tournament was due shortly. Where he would have to humiliate himself again. But he would survive. Better than fight in this tournament – which was only held to sell him off to the next best –, and win it than actually losing so that he would be forced to accept a subordinate role. He would never bow to anyone! Not in battle nor in bed. He was the prince of all Saiyans, and he would no-one allow to humiliate him like that. 

Angrily grumbling under his breath what he would love to do to Nappa, he stormed around the next corner, and, blind with rage, could come to a skidding halt just so before he collided with someone. Growling, he looked up. Kraton stood before him, and behind the older man apparently the new recruits for this year.

Great. That was the last thing he needed! A mere subordinate he could have simply brushed aside to be on his way, but even he couldn't afford this with an elite warrior and old companion of his father.

“Kraton,” he growled, and nodded at the older Saiyan. 

Kraton threw one sceptical look at the angry prince before he bowed before him. “Prince Vegeta.”

Baffled, Krillin and Piccolo watched all the other recruits around them bow down as well reverently. An ungentle stab into his ribs from his neighbour made Krillin realise that they had to bow as well. So, he and Piccolo complied before they could start one or the other incident because they had behaved disrespectfully towards the prince. 

And he really was.

Krillin chanced a look up, and scrutinised Vegeta a little closer. This Vegeta really was still awfully young, and although he seemed furious at the moment – so, nothing new there –, his features weren't yet lined with the hard, relentless expression he was used from the Vegeta in his universe. The arrogance was the same though. 

Although Vegeta had always loudly claimed to be the prince of all Saiyans, which, over the years, had only caused exasperated eye-rolls from them all up to completely ignoring him, but here and now, Krillin realised for the first time that Vegeta really was the prince of all Saiyans. He was heir to this planet's throne, and one day, he would be king of all Saiyans. Until now, he hadn't really thought about it too closely despite Vegeta's talk. But to see him here – even if it was a different Vegeta –, wearing his shining white and gold armour with the blood-red crest of the royal house on his chest and the long blue cape while everyone bowed down before him, Krillin really saw this Saiyan as a prince for the first time. 

“As you can see, I have the new recruits with me,” Kraton explained the obvious in the meanwhile, only to at least find something to fill the uncomfortable silence with. “Their training will start immediately.”

Vegeta, who didn't seem interested in a longer conversation, nodded, and held back any other comments regarding the new recruits' potential. “I'm convinced they will serve the kingdom with honour.” 

Kraton, realising that the prince wanted to leave, bowed once more, and stepped aside.

Vegeta reciprocated with another nod, and stormed past the group. Only when the prince had disappeared around the next corner did the new soldiers dare to straighten up, and once more follow Kraton down the corridor. 

“I never really got it or took it very serious,” Krillin murmured in Piccolo's direction who both had fallen a little behind the others. “But he's really the prince of the Saiyans.”

“Hmpf, so what's your point. He's still an arrogant ass only causing trouble,” Piccolo countered not very benevolently.

“Oh come on,” Krillin grinned. “Even if you two have your differences, I know you respect each other.” 

“Well, yes,” Piccolo admitted albeit reluctantly. “He's changed a lot, and even abandoned his obsession to be stronger than Goku. But this one's just a young, spoilt brat that was pampered by palace life for much too long.” 

Krillin's grin broadened since he could vividly imagine that Piccolo, given the chance, would have loved to give the prince a proper talking-to. Just like Piccolo had accomplished transforming cry-baby Gohan into a brave warrior, he was surely itching to make a dignified, formidable warrior out of this spoiled brat. The Namek was a perfectionist after all, and demanded from all others that they gave their best as well, not only in a fight but in every aspect of their lives.

 

But for the moment, Krillin had to put his amusement last when Kraton led them into the part of the palace where the barracks were housed. They found themselves in a great hall with numerous beds in it. Obviously, the new recruits were supposed to form a close bond by training, eating, and spending their free time together. Absolutely reasonable, Krillin thought. Keeping silent, he steered towards a free bed, and hoped that Piccolo would follow him. Even if he came across like a clingy teenager, under no circumstances did he want to be parted from Piccolo. 

He followed the other recruits' example, and stood at attention before his bed since Kraton obviously planned to say a few words.

“These quarters will be your home for the next eight months. Your comrades will be your family. I expect that you will make this kingdom proud by serving the royal family.”

A collective, loud “Yessir!” echoed through the hall, full of conviction.

“Now, go change,” Kraton ordered. “Then I'll await you in the training hall.”

And with that, the older Saiyan left the dormitory.

Krillin turned to his bed. A uniform was placed there that looked much like the one he had worn on Namek. Could have been worse. He remembered how incredibly comfortable this uniform had been.

A disgruntled growl caused him to chance a look at Piccolo who stared at the uniform in front of him in utter revulsion. 

A mixture of amusement and apprehension filled Krillin when he saw Piccolo's gaze. It was quite obvious what he thought of having to wear this stupid uniform. 

Hastily, Krillin wrenched his T-shirt over his head in the childish attempt to hide from the Namek's bad mood. Since it had been his idea to join the palace guards, Piccolo would now blame him forever. And nobody, except maybe Vegeta, could hold a grudge longer than Piccolo if he was bent on it.

Damn.

 

Their first day as recruits of the royal guards hadn't been so bad. Their first training session had entailed some training in formation. Of course, every Saiyan could fight, being taught the basics as a child already. But here, these basic skills were enhanced and shaped to perfection. And they would learn to fight as a unit. Curiously, there was no weapon's training; Saiyan warriors obviously only used their body's powers. Krillin was fine with that. Maybe they learned a new trick or two that way. 

Piccolo was in a spectacularly bad mood during the next couple of days which he took out on some of his training partners. Otherwise, he didn't let on that something was bothering him. His nightly meditation probably helped to keep his temper under control. For which Krillin was more than grateful. 

Although training had been hard, at least the food was good contrary to every cliché there was about life as a soldier (after all, food had a very high priority with these Saiyans). And plentiful. Even Goku would have been sated here without any problems. 

Two weeks after completing their basic training, the group was merged with the recruits from last year. Although training only lasted eight months before you became a fully fledged soldier of the royal guard, in the second part of the training, they would do some kind of advanced course that entailed acting as mentor for the new recruits. 

Krillin thought this method pretty interesting to be truthful while Piccolo's mood only turned more sour since he had to let some Saiyan fledgling tell him what to do, and had to endure their mothering as if he was a bloody newbie himself.

Just in case, Krillin decided to keep an eye on Piccolo to prevent his friend from blowing up the whole palace only because Piccolo had reached his final straw one day.

Much to Krillin's surprise, there were no female soldiers. From a race that had fighting in their blood, he'd expected there to be no difference between the sexes concerning fighting. Cautious research revealed, to his shock, that there weren't any female Saiyans in the first place. But instead of procreating asexually like the Nameks, some Saiyans were so called bearer who would have the children.

There were probably stranger things in this universe though. But nonetheless, his friends at home surely would be quite interested to learn some more about Saiyans since Vegeta wasn't very forthcoming concerning his people. Or maybe he'd been too young when Freezer destroyed the planet so that he couldn't remember a lot of things or hadn't been taught in the first place...

 

Even if it rubbed Piccolo the wrong way, whether he liked it or not, they had to communicate with their comrades from time to time. For his part, he rather kept to himself, but Krillin had struck up some hesitant friendships – well, acquaintances – with some of their comrades. For him, it wasn't hard. He was a fun-loving, approachable guy who even managed to make friends with a bunch of grumpy Saiyans (for a huge part, his immense powers helped that all the bigger Saiyans didn't immediately write off the small warrior as worthless; unconsciously, although they couldn't read any ki without their scouters, they must sense that Krillin was stronger than he appeared). 

But sometimes – and for that, secretly, Piccolo was incredibly grateful to Krillin – they kept to themselves which at least gave them the opportunity to talk about things, and make plans that weren't for Saiyans' ears. Although you were never really alone during meals, the loud babbling in the canteen helped to talk undisturbed.

Not that there was much to talk about. For the time being, they were stranded here until their friends brought them back or until they found a chance to leave the planet themselves to go to Namek or Earth. 

At their table sat two other soldiers whom they hadn't noticed much until now since these two were absorbed in their own conversation anyway. The taller one looked awfully excited, and, vibrating with anticipation, bend closer to his friend. 

“You know what?!” the Saiyan whispered secretive, but now so loud that Krillin and Piccolo couldn't help but listen in. 

His friend looked at him expectantly.

“I will participate in the great tournament this year.” A huge grin almost split his face in two. 

“You?!” the other cried incredulously.

“What? Do you think I don't stand a chance?!” the taller one pouted.

“You know how intense this tournament is. Even if you win, then you will have to fight the prince.” “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he sighed.

“Ehm, excuse me.”

The two soldiers paused, and looked to their side. Irritated, they glared at Krillin for the interruption.

“This great tournament, what's that supposed to be?” he hastened to ask.

The expression of the two Saiyans relaxed, and they seemed a little more amiable.  
“You don't know?” the one wanting to participate in the tournament asked, baffled. They both looked from Krillin to Piccolo and back incredulously. 

“No. We're not from around here.”

“Oh, well then.” The other Saiyan shrugged. “The great tournament's held every year.”

“It's an ancient tradition the king revived,” the bigger one explained.

“Yes. The winner has to compete against the prince. If he beats him, he may marry him.”

“But nobody ever accomplished that. Prince Vegeta is the strongest Saiyan for generations. Warriors from other species can compete as well, but none of them was strong enough either. After all, it's pretty tempting if the price is the throne.”

“But even when you lose against the prince, it's a tremendous boost for your reputation and honour.”

“The only reason for this tournament is to look for a mate?” Krillin dug deeper. 

“Basically, yes,” the future competitor answered. “Thousand or more years ago, it was a popular method with the elites to marry off their reluctant children. Like that, they made sure to marry well if the victor of the tournament, ergo the strongest fighter, married their son.” 

“I heard that the prince wasn't very happy about his father's decision, but since he didn't want to take a mate, the king presented him with a fait accompli. Even the prince has to abide to that. At least he obtained the right to fight the victor. Of course, nobody manages, the prince is too strong.”

“I think no-one will ever beat him, and the kingdom will remain without an heir.”

“But, being the prince, it's his  _ duty _ to provide heirs, is it not?” Krillin asked.

“Sure, but he's stubborn.”

“But he's still young as well, and someday, when he's king, he'll come to his senses,” the competitor predicted. 

“Yes, I think he will.”

_ I really don't _ , Krillin send to Piccolo telepathically, his inner voice dripping with sarcasm.  _ If the guy is only a little bit like our Vegeta, then they'll host this tournament for all eternity. _

_ Probably. But it's not our problem. I am sure that we can leave this place soon. Then, Vegeta can bring his brood into the world as he sees fit. We will only be punished with Trunks. _

_ I don't think there's a chance of creating a brat like him again. Remember, they have no Bulma here. _

_ But a whole planet of equally as stubborn Saiyans. _

_ Right. _

“Hey, you two.”

They ended their telepathic conversation with each other, and once more turned towards their table neighbours. 

“During training, I noticed that you two are really good although you've been here only for a short time. How about it, why don't you participate in the tournament?”

The friends frowned in shock about the bigger one's suggestion.

“Why should we?” Krillin exclaimed a little too intensely. “I am happily married.”

“Hm, well, couldn't know that, did we.”

“But what about you?” the other Saiyan turned to Piccolo who only stared at him as if he was nuts.

“What about me?” Piccolo pressed forth through gritted teeth. “Why should I want to marry? And Vege... ehm, the prince of all people?”

“Oh come on. The prince's really hot. And, if I was in his place, I wouldn't push you out of my bed either. Think about it. At least, as I said, it brings a lot of fame.”

Involuntarily, Piccolo backed away a little from his would-be admirer while he still stared at him, appalled.

Krillin on the other hand didn't know if he should be horrified, be worried about his friend's virtue, or if he should start laughing.

“Ehm, okay, I'll think about it,” Piccolo stammered in complete horror. “We gotta go now. See you.”

With that, he grasped Krillin's arm rather ungently, pulled him to his feet, and out of the canteen.

Outside, Krillin decided for the third option, and started laughing loudly, only earning him menacing glares from Piccolo.

“That is not funny,” the Namek clarified when Krillin couldn't stop laughing.

“It is,” the former monk gasped, and grasped his stomach. “It really is. You should have seen your face!”

“That's enough!”

Involuntarily, Krillin jumped a little into the air, startled. Nervously, he laughed when he saw himself confronted with a really mad Namek. Swallowing, he nodded curtly, and let the matter rest. It had been a long time that he had seen Piccolo that furious, and therefore, he thought it best not to say anything any more.

 

But only a few days later, the topic of the tournament once more haunted them when their new friends, Talos and Gelek, dragged them into an empty common room.

“What are you doing?” Krillin asked curiously while he and Piccolo watched as the two Saiyans settled down in front of a transmission apparatus, this planet's equivalent to a TV.

Talos grinned cheekily, and waved a small data disc in his hand which he eventually put into the apparatus.

“Talos wants to be clever,” Gelek answered eventually in his friend's stead. “He thinks that when he watches the final fight of the last tournament the prince contested in, he has a bigger chance of defeating him.” 

“That's not as absurd as you may think,” Talos protested smartly. “When I closely analyse the prince's fighting style, then I may have a chance.”

Basically, the idea was good, thought Krillin, but he didn't have the heart to tell his friend that Vegeta would take him apart nonetheless. Even if he could anticipate all of Vegeta's moves, he lacked the strength and the speed to beat the prince. Provided he even reached the final.

Nonetheless interested, Krillin sat down next to the two onto the uncomfortable couch. Saiyans didn't seem to have ever heard about the concept of comforts. Or maybe only the furniture in the barracks were as uncomfortable to form the men into hardened – and sullen – soldiers.

Krillin felt Piccolo stop behind the couch. Despite his irritation that the topic was brought up again, the Namek obviously seemed to be as interested to see this young Vegeta fight as Krillin. Only, he wouldn't ever admit to it. 

Talos leaned forward excitedly when the recording started. He almost slipped from the couch in his eagerness to be as close to the TV as possible, his eyes practically being glued to the screen. Krillin couldn't help but admit that he was curious as well. After all, this tournament was something huge on this planet.

Krillin saw the opponents enter the high arena, making for the fighting ring in the middle. Both wore black robes. When they reached the stairs leading up into the ring, the robes were taken from them. Krillin frowned. 

“Why're they fighting in a loin cloth? And have...” He cocked his head, and pinched his eyes together. “Symbols painted onto their bodies?” 

Since in his absolute concentration, Talos wasn't in any state to answer, Gelek did it for him, “It's traditional garb in a high ritual, and the symbols painted onto their bodies are divine runes that shall promise success, luck, and victory in a battle. Normally, only the king or the high-ranking priests perform such a thing. Some of these battles were so important in ancient times that they were viewed as a religious event – depending on how high-ranking the families were who wanted to form a connection like that. I heard, clothing and the order of events haven't really changed since then.”

“Hmm.”

Secretly, Piccolo agreed to Krillin's thoughtful, not-really-convinced-about-the-whole-thing noise. Maybe this was important for the Saiyans, but he thought it silly. And, if he looked at Vegeta's face, he not only thought it silly but humiliating. This fight, this opponent, was beneath Vegeta; Piccolo could tell with only one look, but despite his contempt, the expression in the prince's black eyes spoke of the utmost tension and concentration, so as if he fought the fight of his life. Piccolo had seen this look only once in Vegeta's eyes – back when he had fought Freezer on Namek. The prince wanted to prevent being forced into this marriage by all available means, year by year. A case he could only understand too well himself. If there was anything they had in common, it was their pride that connected them. He was, in all likeliness, the only one of their friends who could understand Vegeta's iron will to defend his pride. After all, the Vegeta of his universe hadn't possessed much more than his pride once. This one here was different, but nonetheless, in that aspect, he didn't vary from his other self in Piccolo's universe, who had even seen it as a humiliation to be defeated by a third-class warrior. And to be married off to some nobody against his will – who would humiliate him publicly by beating him in the tournament to top it off –, would be even more debasing to him. All of a sudden, this realisation made Piccolo think through his opinion of Vegeta as an arrogant, spoiled palace brat. There was more of his Vegeta in the young prince than he had thought. 

“Hach,” Gelek sighed who, as opposed to Talos, wasn't as occupied with analysing the prince's fight. “Isn't he magnificent. I'd give my right arm to call him my mate.”

A little disgusted, Piccolo's gaze focused on to the Saiyan. “He isn't a piece of meat!” he wanted to burst out, but he kept quiet since, in the same moment, he wondered why he was suddenly so determined to defend Vegeta's virtue. Grinding his teeth, he looked back at the screen, his eyes firmly focussed on to the graceful, muscular body of the prince who scrutinised his struggling opponent with cool eyes. The other Saiyan was sweating profoundly, and his breath came out in heavy puffs, but Vegeta was completely calm, not one drop of sweat ran down his sleek body.

Even if this Vegeta was weaker than Piccolo himself, the Namek nonetheless admired him for his determination. Secretly, he wished the prince that he never was defeated in this tournament, his duty as crown prince to provide for an heir be damned.

 

Sooner or later, Piccolo and Krillin couldn't hide any more that their power levels were much stronger than their comrades'. Therefore, it wasn't really surprising that before long, even before their training was even completed, they were admitted into the inner circle of the guards. From now on, they directly subordinated under Nappa, the prince's personal guard. Both Earth warriors would have loved to pass on this questionable honour since Nappa's presence threw both of them – but Piccolo especially. Sure, this was another Nappa than the one who had attacked Earth, and killed Piccolo, but it was hard to see the difference. Nappa being here at his prince's side instead of raiding other planets all over the universe – which was other, lower Saiyans' jobs – was only due to the circumstance that Freezer hadn't destroyed planet Vegeta yet. But nonetheless, even here, all Saiyans had to do Freezer's bidding who terrorised this universe as well.

They were with the elite guards only for a few days when Freezer actually showed up at the palace for a surprise visit. They felt his presence even before he set foot onto the planet, and both friends had to force themselves not to stiffen with old fear. Over and over, they had to tell themselves that they were much stronger here than Freezer (at least Piccolo was). Freezer couldn't harm them should it come to the worst.

The mood in the throne room  was almost stretched to a breaking point. Everyone in attendance waited for Freezer to arrive, and when the crazy lizard actually marched into the throne room confidently, taking his place on the throne as if he owned it, emotions were short from boiling over. Nobody missed the throbbing of the vein at king Vegeta's temple as he had to allow the Icejin to occupy his throne.

“You know,” Freezer began in a treacherously good mood, “a little bird told me something very interesting.”

Every Saiyan present stiffened anxiously, and they all wondered what Freezer was talking about. It couldn't mean anything good for them.

“Oh yeah?” the king replied through gritted teeth while he had to feign interest. 

“Yes, really. I was told that, for a few years already, you have some kind of tournament here.”

Even from the distance they stood away from the throne, Piccolo and Krillin could see all colour draining from king Vegeta's face. A few Saiyans around them uttered choked noises of shock.

Freezer looked up to the king, and wagged his finger reprovingly, a sickly-sweet, mild smile on his lips. “I'm really disappointed, Vegeta. Why haven't you told me about this sooner? I gotta say, this sounds incredibly interesting.”

“Oh, you know,” the king tried to downplay the whole affair, “this is only about our local politics. Nothing more. We wouldn't bother you with something like this.”

“Nonsense, my dear. I think, I should participate. I'm in desperate need of some distraction from my dull government business, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. It can be very...  _ lonely _ up there at the top of the universe.”

He threw the king a gleeful grin which made everyone here realise that Freezer knew perfectly well what the price was for winning this tournament.

“But...”

“No but.” Freezer's tail lashed out through the air impatiently, and it smacked against the side of the throne with a loud noise, almost breaking the black stone. “I will partake in this tournament.”

And with that, he rose, inclined his head mockingly in the king's direction, and strolled from the throne room placidly. You could have heard a pin drop after the doors had clicked shut after Freezer. The shock all of them felt seemed to charge the air with electricity. 

“Get my son!” the king suddenly barked when he woke up from his state of shock abruptly.

Kraton himself stumbled from the hall as fast as he could to get the prince.

Only a few minutes later, Vegeta stormed into the throne room, and headed for his father's throne.

“What is the meaning of this, father?” he demanded to know, furious. “Kraton only stammered something about Freezer being here, and...”

“Silence!” the king roared so that even the prince fell silent in startled surprise.

The king glared at his son with flashing eyes. “Do you know what you have done!”

Vegeta frowned in confusion.

“You and your damned, childish pride!” the king continued to scream. “If you'd only obeyed, and accepted a mate, we wouldn't be in this position now.”

“Father... I don't understand...”

“Freezer knows about the tournament, and now he wants to partake.”

The king's words ominously echoed through the vast hall. Shell-shocked, Vegeta stared at his father while the guards cordoning the way towards the throne desperately tried to appear as if they weren't listening to the fight attentively. 

“You brought this tournament upon us, and now, Freezer can exploit it to humiliate us,” the king continued his lecture, and for the next few minutes, he vented his fury and desperation with more or less the same words over and over.

The two Earthly warriors blocked out the rest of the king's tirade, and turned towards each other.

_ His pride got him into trouble again _ , Krillin sighed telepathically, but his mood was dark.

_ And under normal circumstances, I'd say, let him see how he gets out of there himself, but in that case _ , Piccolo send back equally as sombrely. 

_ True. We can't just stand there and do nothing. Besides, this concerns the whole planet. Sooner or later, Freezer will kill all Saiyans, and when we are still here when that day comes... _

Piccolo nodded impalpably.  _ It's incontestable that Freezer will win this tournament. _

_ What do you suggest? _

_ I don't know.  _ At a loss, Piccolo's gaze wandered back up to the throne where the king still screamed at his son who, by now had decided to fight back, and defend himself.

 

“Damn!” Krillin cried out after the door to their room – a benefit of belonging to the elite guards – had slid shut. “Clever thinking on that disgusting lizard's part. By pinching the throne – and that with legal means –, it's his best chance to enslave the Saiyans.”

Piccolo nodded darkly. “It will be a real pleasure for him to force Vegeta under his reign.” 

Shocked, Krillin's eyes widened before he shuddered in disgust. “You're right. They would be married, and... and the guys mentioned that Vegeta is a bearer, isn't he.”

“Yes. Freezer will take much delight in humiliating Vegeta by raping him, and siring an heir with him. The shame would kill Vegeta.”

These nasty news only encouraged Krillin even more to do something. “Hmhm. We have to do something.”

“I'll keep an eye on Vegeta for now because I have the feeling that he will do something stupid,” Piccolo explained. 

“Yes, good. And what about Freezer? The easiest way would be if you partake in the tournament, and defeat him. He doesn't stand a chance against you.”

Piccolo ground his teeth. “That's our only chance, I'm afraid.”

 

Piccolo didn't like it, but if he wanted or not, he was the only one who was strong enough to beat Freezer. He didn't really know if he did it out of a self-preservation instintct, revenge for Namek, or to save Vegeta (if the latter was the case, he rather didn't want to analyse the reasons for that too closely), but on the very same day, he registered for the tournament. 

At the same time, he didn't let the prince out of his sight any more. Who knew what the shocking news had done to the prince's pride, and what they would make him do if he wasn't watchful.

Much to his chagrin, Piccolo's uncanny instinct turned out to be infallible this time as well because one night, he followed the prince when he abruptly left the palace in all secrecy. 

Fortunately, Saiyans neither had Namekian hearing nor could they sense ki. Therefore, Piccolo faced no problems as he followed the prince in the darkness unnoticed. His way led Vegeta to a spot far away from the city, into a wilderness in the opposite direction to the way Krillin and Piccolo had come from back then. Finally, he stopped in a clearing in the middle of a thick forest. A small waterfall gushed from a point higher up into a pond on the clearing. Piccolo immediately felt at home here.

Warily, he watched Vegeta kneel down at the shore of the pond, only staring into the dark water.

 

His legs wouldn't hold him any more, so he slumped to his knees next to the small pond he'd played in as a child quite often. He'd always felt safe in this place when he couldn't bear life at the palace any more. Not even Nappa knew about this spot since he'd always managed to steel away unnoticed. But now, even this safe heaven couldn't give him any security or peace. Freezer haunted him everywhere. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the Icejin's sardonic smile before his inner eye.

A desperate, disgusted shudder wrecked Vegeta's whole body.

He couldn't keep on like this.

Even he, in his arrogant, pretentious pride, realised that Freezer would beat him. And then...

He balled his hands into fists, and withstood the attempt to angrily brush away his sudden tears.

No.

He wouldn't let this monster defeat him. To be abused by this tyrant would break him. 

There wasn't any hope though. Nobody in this universe was strong enough to defeat Freezer. Vegeta didn't want to abandon his people, but to be forced to surrender to Freezer... Never! 

Filled with fierce determination, Vegeta drew a small knife from his boot. His hands didn't even shake as he held the weapon tightly in his fingers. He stared down on to the sharp blade gleaming silver in the weak moon light.

A snapping noise in the undergrowth alerted him suddenly.

“Who's there?!” Vegeta shouted, beside himself with helpless rage, his voice shaking with tears. The small dagger fell from his hand as he balled his hands into fists, ready to fight. Intensely, he stared into the darkness until he suddenly could make out a shape coming closer. But he couldn't recognise who it was, only that his uninvited visitor was incredibly tall.

“Hush, I don't want you any harm,” Piccolo replied, letting his voice sound calming and hypnotic. If he wanted, he had the power to calm down people through his voice, but until now, he'd never really used this ability. Much less to help somebody. Only that one single time, back then as he'd trained Gohan for the Saiyan's arrival. At first, he hadn't cared, but eventually, even he couldn't stand the small boy's heart-breaking whimpers who, trapped in a nightmare, started to lash out wildly when Piccolo tried to shake him awake. Therefore, he had taken him into his arms decidedly, and whispered soft words into his ear to calm him down, until finally, Gohan had sank back into a peaceful sleep. 

But it was one thing to influence a frightened child or a mentally weak human. Saiyans however possessed strong mental shields and an incredible will and resistance. Not to forget stubbornness which seemed to be especially developed in Vegeta. 

With that, he simply ignored the prince's words, and brusquely marched up to him. Vegeta's right palm lit up in the dark to form a ki-ball he could throw at Piccolo.

_ Not on my watch, mate! _ , he thought grimly, and raced forward. Before Vegeta could react, Piccolo was behind him, and twisted his arms on to his back. With one hand, he held Vegeta's arms in an iron grip while he placed the other around Vegeta's neck to press the struggling body tightly against his own.

“Let me go!” the prince panted in vain. Piccolo only tightened his hold, even forcing him onto his knees.

“Not until you stop this foolishness,” he growled.

“Whoever you are, you take way too many liberties,” Vegeta hissed back without reacting to Piccolo's words. “I'm the prince, so take your hands off me!”

“I know exactly who you are. And I'm here to help you.”

“Help me?!” Vegeta spat bitterly. “How do you think you could help me?”

“First of all, I want to save your life,” Piccolo explained calmly, but Vegeta only struggled harder. 

“I don't want to be saved!” he screamed. “Do you know what will happen to me when Freezer wins?”

Sighing, Piccolo closed his eyes. “Yes, I can imagine. But suicide isn't a solution.”

“I think it's a very passable solution,” the prince countered, offended, which caused Piccolo to release him, and simply push him away from himself. For a moment, Vegeta stumbled, but then, he caught himself, and spun around furiously.

For a few seconds, they stared at each other in the darkness, unrelenting, without even making out a thing about the other. The only noises around them were the rushing of the waterfall that drowned out Vegetas heavy, incensed breathing.

“Do you want your people to remember you as a coward?” Piccolo asked eventually, disgusted by the prince's cowardice.

The harsh words made Vegeta pause. Strained, he stared into the darkness at his opponent. “In your eyes, my decision may be cowardly,” he eventually explained, softly but determined. His nostrils flared when he took in the other's scent. No Saiyan, so what did this stranger think he knew. “But no Saiyan would ever hold it against me. Choosing suicide is a much more honourable fate than to surrender to Freezer like this.”

He felt new tears of anger and helplessness spring into his eyes, and his lower lip started to tremble. Angrily, he turned away from the stranger, tightly crossing his arms before his chest. “Leave me alone,” he ordered gruffly while he desperately fought to swallow his tears.

“No. I can't.”

“Why not? In the Gods' name, just let me be,” the prince begged, at the end of his strength. By now, he didn't care who the stranger was, and that he saw him in such a moment of humiliating weakness. Shaking and sobbing, he sank back onto the ground, and didn't try to hold back his tears any more.

He flinched violently as the taller man suddenly knelt down behind him, gripping his shoulders. The other bend down close to his ear. “I will help you, I promise,” he whispered.

But Vegeta shook his head vehemently. “You can't help me. Nobody can.”

Irritated, Piccolo breathed out harshly. He'd have loved to shake the undiscerning Saiyan, but that wouldn't get him anywhere right now. Later, he blamed his instincts that he now put his arms around Vegeta, and pulled the smaller, shaking body once more tightly against himself; this time with the intention to give comfort, not to put a stop to any stupid plans he had. Much to his surprise, the younger pressed back against him, seeking protection, and he put his powerlessly shaking hands onto Piccolo's arms holding him tight. That alone showed how helpless the young man had to feel, and how deep he seemed to be in shock. 

_ I'm crazy _ , he thought while, at the same time, he tightened his hold around the prince.  _ What am I doing here?! This is Vegeta of all people.  _

They'd never liked each other, but nonetheless felt deep respect for each other. But this here wasn't even his Vegeta. This young man bore a striking resemblance, yes, the same arrogance and haughtiness, but this one wasn't shaped by the ordeal of Freezer's reign over him, by the murder of his father and his people's genocide, being the Icejin's slave, and maybe even worse. This one had the same unbridled fighting spirit and will to survive, but at the same time, there was an innocence in him the Vegeta of his universe had lost long ago. And once more, Piccolo didn't know why, but he wanted to protect this innocence. It caused Piccolo a sharp, mental pain when he imagined this brigh fire snuffed out by Freezer's cruelty.

“I  _ will _ help you,” he therefore promised ardently, once more letting his voice sound hypnotising. He let a good portion of his powers flow into Vegeta, gently breached his mental shields without meeting any resistance – maybe a tiny, instinctive part in Vegeta seemed to have come to the conclusion that the stranger holding him could be trusted –, and he put the prince to sleep in only a few moments with the help of his powers. Unconscious, the prince slumped in Piccolo's arms which made the Namek breath a relieved sigh that he didn't have to deal with the distraught prince any more. 

But in the end, it was no use. He had burdened himself with this responsibility, and he wouldn't abandon Vegeta. Determined, he picked up the much lighter body into his arms, and flew back to the palace.

Being careful not the be spotted by the guards, he directly flew through the big window of Vegeta's room, and gently placed the prince onto his bed. 

For a moment, before left, Piccolo perched on the edge of the bed, and, as if in a trance, caressed Vegeta's cheek, and then bend over him to kiss his forehead. “You can trust me, I will save you,” he whispered when he drew back from Vegeta. 

Suddenly with a heavy heart, he forced himself to stand up, leaving the room through the window as quietly as he had come.

 

In the early morning, Vegeta awakened with a start. Strange, confusing dreams had plagued his sleep which he couldn't interpret... 

Until he remembered. 

Freezer. 

The tournament...

He frowned.

The mysterious stranger who had stopped him from committing suicide... 

Absent-mindedly, Vegeta grasped his forehead. He had an inkling of feeling the echo of a touch on his skin. The pleasant scent of the stranger encompassed him completely, but when he surveyed his room, he was alone. The stranger must have brought him back here... 

Inexplicable sadness filled him when he thought about his mysterious saviour. No, not thinking about him, but the fact that he wasn't here now made him sad. 

Angrily, he rose, and brusquely marched in the direction of his bathroom. On his way there, he dropped a careless trail of clothing. He hadn't even seen the stranger clearly, and yet, he missed him. How had he allowed himself to be lulled so much?! Only because the other had promised to safe him?! 

“Bah, nobody can beat Freezer,” he spat furiously, his rage nourished by his desperation. 

But then, he stopped, standing in the entrance to the bathroom in indecision, and stared at the ground absent-mindedly.

But the stranger had promised him. And he had believed him as that dark, soothing voice had promised to save him. And when he'd felt the other's comforting arms around him, he suddenly had a feeling that this other man could do everything, that he really could defeat Freezer.

He didn't want to believe since he didn't even know who the other was, and because nobody could beat Freezer. But a small spark of hope suddenly nested, and without his consent, in his heart. And the spark wouldn't go away, no matter how strong his doubts.

 

On the contrary. It was nourished with every passing day, nourished by an inexplicable hope Vegeta simply couldn't brush off.

But his fear grew as well the closer the tournament came, and then, one morning when he sat in the royal box, and looked down on to the participants, he felt befuddled, so as if he didn't even know how he had come to be here. It all seemed like a dream.

But his mind slowly cleared again. His senses sharpened itself again, and he let his keen gaze slide over the lined up warriors down there.

With a shudder, he bypassed Freezer whose sinister smile he felt firmly fixed onto his person. Instead, he scrutinised every single fighter closely. Most of them he ignored. He instinctively knew that they were too weak to have any chance in this tournament. Those with potential didn't match his mysterious saviour either though. One or two were a possibility because they were very tall. Especially the sight of the Namek send a not unpleasant shiver down Vegeta's spine, and he wondered if it was him. At least he carried himself as if he was convinced to win, proud and standing straight, being above everyone here. But others before him had looked like that as well, and had failed nonetheless, at the latest against Vegeta himself. 

Anyhow. There was something to this Namek. 

He had a feeling that he knew him.

“Nappa.”

Giving a sign to his bodyguard, Nappa, standing behind the prince, bend down beside him.

“Who's the Namek?” Vegeta asked without taking his eyes from the opponents. By now, the preliminaries had begun which he didn't pay much attention to. 

“His name is Piccolo,” Nappa explained. “He's one of the new recruits, but since his potential was exceptional, we admitted him into the elite guard.”

Ah, that's why the Namek seemed familiar. He had seen him in the throne room now and then. Well. A man of this height was indeed hard to forget...

Grunting contentedly, he waved Nappa away, and from then on, his attentive gaze was fixed onto Piccolo. 

It was almost ridiculous how easy he did away with his opponents, and when it wasn't even noon when the actual fights started. 

With every match Piccolo won, Vegeta's hope increased exponentially. He didn't need a scouter to know how good Piccolo was. He could literally sense it. No to mention the visible proof. The Namek's technique was flawless, the graceful movements of his powerful body sleek like that of a predator. 

And then... 

Vegeta's breath caught...

Then Piccolo faced Freezer in the finale.

Anxious, even sick with excitement, Vegeta squirmed on his throne restlessly. The whole stadium seemed to hold their breath in excitement since everyone was only too aware what was at stake through the accursed Icejin's participation at this tournament. 

The first clash of the two opponents shook the whole stadium in its foundations, and seemed to suck in all air around them for a moment. Then, their powers exploded, most of the spectators were thrown from their seats. Vegeta kept to his seat stubbornly, his arms thrown protectively in front of his face as this raw, unbridled power hit his face like licking flames. Through slitted eyes, he tried to still keep the two fighters in his line of sight.

Not for even one second could he turn his gaze from Piccolo and Freezer. And very soon, it was obvious that Piccolo held the upper hand, and would keep it. The Icejin became noticeably more desperate with every passing minute. He'd never encountered such an opponent, and even high up in the royal box, Vegeta could, with great satisfaction, recognise the naked fear in Freezer's eyes. 

Therefore, the shock wasn't as great for him as for the rest of the spectators when Freezer suddenly crashed into the ring unconsciously.

The silence in the stadium was deafening. Eyes widened with shock couldn't decide if they should take in the Icejin's battered form or if they should turn their eyes to his conqueror who, proud and aloof, hovered a few feet above Freezer.

Vegeta, for his part, knew where he should look. And when Piccolo turned his head to look the prince in the eye, a shudder shook Vegeta's whole body in a strange mixture of relief and fear. It suddenly hit home that the Namek had really defeated Freezer, that he was stronger than the Icejin, and therefore stronger than Vegeta himself. Tomorrow already, he would face this godlike opponent himself – and lose. There was no doubt about that, everybody here knew. If he wanted or not, Vegeta would lose the coming fight tomorrow, and he would have to surrender to Piccolo. And he was afraid. How should he deal with someone who was stronger than Freezer? Not for one second did he believe that Piccolo – should he really be his mysterious saviour – would take advantage of and abuse him in the same manner Freezer had planned for him, but nonetheless... 

Their gazes held fast to each other for some time. The hesitant, but increasing cheering of the spectators fell on deaf ears with both of them. Even that Freezer's men, uncertain but as quickly as possible, carried their badly wounded master away to put him in a med-tank aboard his ship was something they only noticed at the periphery. Vegeta only startled from this strange trance that seemed to hold both of them in their grip when his father declared Piccolo the victor with a loud, proud voice.

 

Vegeta hadn't got any sleep the whole night through. Therefore, he knew that he wouldn't be able to take on this fight in his best condition. Sure, he would give his best out of stubbornness if only for that, but it wouldn't be enough. So, in the end, wasn't trying a moot point anyway? Only his pride forbade him to give up. 

Strangely numb, so as if he wasn't in his own body, Vegeta stared in front of him at the rippling surface of the bathing water, completely lost in his thoughts.

Noises from his adjacent rooms startled him from his trance, and he rose with a heavy sigh from the water. Even before the servants could come running with towels to help dry him, he powered up to let his ki dry him. He wanted as few people as possible to touch him. It was bothersome enough that, in a few minutes, he was at the mercy of the priests' hands. 

Straightening his back in stoic honour, he left the bathroom. Indeed, in his rooms, two priests were already waiting for him, each one with a small jar of Kyprios in their hands. The servants retreated silently, and the priests advanced. Stoically, Vegeta endured the ceremony, let them do their work to paint his body with sacred runes. 

Suddenly he stiffened when he sensed his father's presence in the room, but apart from that, he didn't react to the king's presence. The priests painting the runes onto his body paused for a moment to honour the king's entrance before they continued with their sacred task. 

“Vegeta...” the king began, unsure how he should continue. 

“You got what you wanted,” his son interrupted him rudely without even looking at his father. “Freezer is defeated, and the Namek will become my mate. Actually, why don't we call off this farce.” Then at least, he would remain unbeaten, in theory at any rate...

The king wrinkled his nose, but didn't let his son's aggressive, challenging voice get to him. “Tradition demands it. This tournament will be brought to an end today.” 

“So that I'll be humiliated in front of the whole universe by my future mate after all?!” Vegeta spat, and his head swivelled around to glare at his father. 

The priests made indignant noises when their work was in danger of failing, but neither father nor son cared much about that. 

They stared at each other fiercely. 

“It's proof that he is worthy of you,” the king explained icily. “That he is worth of the throne, and that he will be able to protect you both.” 

“I don't want to be protected,” Vegeta hissed. “I can take care of myself.”

“That's odd,” the king scoffed. “Yesterday you seemed awfully relieved when Freezer was defeated by your future mate.”

Vegeta wanted to give a biting retort, but he held himself back since his father was actually right, of course. Instead, he vented his resentment in another way.

“Then, can we at least abort this half-naked fighting? Sometimes I get the feeling that you only gave the order for that to flaunt me in front of everyone, that even more take part next year to try their luck. Well.” Vegeta snarled. “We can save that since there won't be a next tournament.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” the king growled. “It's tradition. A sacred ritual.”

While the priests agreed with surly noises but still tirelessly painted sacred runes onto Vegeta's skin with the rust-coloured paint won from the Kyprios plant, Vegeta only made a disgusted noise. But since even he didn't want to blow it with the priests, he kept his mouth shut, and ignored everybody present from now on. 

Exasperated, the king eventually left the prince's rooms, and the priests left as well as soon as their work was done. 

Vegeta remained alone, and stepped in front of the mirror after putting on the loin cloth. He regarded his red-painted body. The numerous runes on his arms and upper body, as well as the loin cloth made him look wild and untamed, like a god from a distant past that had come from the heavens.

It wasn't the first time that he saw himself like that of course, but this time, for a first, he felt as if it meant something. He felt strangely disconnected from reality faced with the monumental task that was set before him which would change his life forever. He was scared, but on the other hand, he was ready to go into this match with honour. 

He would have liked to talk to his future mate privately, but meeting before the fight was forbidden. By now, he was sure that Piccolo was his mysterious saviour, but still, he was dying to ask him if it was really him. Be that as it may, the Namek, saviour from the pond or not, had saved him. And if he was destined to be his mate, then so be it.

Vegeta couldn't change it any more anyway.

 

Frowning, Krillin watched to two priests painting Piccolo's emerald skin with reddish paint, probably something similar to Henna back on Earth. What exactly the runes on Piccolo's arms and upper body were supposed to mean, he had no idea, but Gelek and Talos (who, by the way, was incredibly jealous of Piccolo) had told them that it were pleas to the Gods for luck in the impending fight and the union resulting from it. 

The Namek bore the procedure stoically, but Krillin saw that his whole body was taut as a bow string.

Fortunately, the priests retreated shortly after from the royal guest quarters Piccolo had been given, so that he could talk to the Namek undisturbed.

He didn't really know what to say though. What were you supposed to say to a friend who would contest in some kind of wedding fight in a few minutes. Unwanted by both parties, mind you.

“I could give him a message from you,” he eventually offered.

Irritated, Piccolo spun around to him. “What?” 

Krillin shrugged. “Vegeta. After all, you weren't allowed to see each other. I imagine he is as happy about the whole affair as you are. I could give him a message from you.” 

Piccolo frowned. “Why should I want to tell him anything?” The Namek wrinkled his nose, and turned away from Krillin again to sullenly scrutinise his scant outfit in the mirror. “I don't want to calm him down or anything,” he explained coldly. “I don't care about him at all. My only goal was defeating Freezer for all of our sakes. I did, even if it probably won't be over yet. But as for Vegeta... I don't intend to marry him when I win – and I will, you can bet on it. I don't see any reason to lose only to spare the little prince's pride.”

Krillin bit his lip. It had been a long time since he'd witnessed Piccolo talk that haughty and cool, but he knew that it was his way of hiding his true feelings. Truly: Krillin didn't believe one word that Piccolo didn't care for Vegeta as he claimed. Piccolo hadn't intended to, but, much like Gohan all those years ago, this Saiyan had slowly sneaked into his heart as well. How that could have happened, Krillin really didn't know; the two had never met in person as far as he knew, but nonetheless, Piccolo seemed to feel a special connection with the prince somehow. Krillin was sure that Piccolo empathized with Vegeta because of this tournament. Vegeta's pride had clearly taken a hard blow being forced into this ritual by his father, and Krillin imagined that Piccolo would have felt equally as hurt in his pride being in Vegeta's stead. But it didn't matter what it was, Piccolo obviously seemed to have dedicated himself to the task of saving Vegeta. Until now, that had gone quite well. And when Krillin thought back on Vegeta's fascinated expression yesterday, how he hadn't left Piccolo out of his sight for even one second, then he was sure that there was something from Vegeta's side as well. Hadn't the Vegeta from his universe once mentioned that a Saiyan was attracted to a strong mate? It made sense. Therefore, Piccolo had to be irresistible to the young prince.

_ Hm _ , he thought. This was quite the unexpected development. Krillin was eager to see where it would lead them, and he only hoped that it wouldn't end with broken hearts. After all, this wasn't Piccolo's home... 

 

Vegeta barely felt as the heavy cloak was taken from his shoulders. His gaze, his whole being was solely focussed on his opponent on the other side of the ring. His heartbeat accelerated all of a sudden when the cloak was taken from the Namek as well so that Vegeta was granted a first glimpse of the exotic, immaculate body of his opponent. If a last – if not persistently strong – remnant of pride hadn't still had a tight grip on Vegeta, he would indeed have enjoyed and appreciated the sight, and it wouldn't have been as hard to step into the ring, and accept his fate. 

It could have been worse. Much, much worse.

The two opponents came to a halt barely two metres apart from each other, a deafening crescendo of drums counted down the moments for the fight to begin, but Vegeta didn't notice anything around him any more when suddenly, the Namek's scent hit his nostrils for the first time. He froze for a second in joyful shock and relief. He knew that scent. And it was the last proof he needed to know that Piccolo really was his mysterious saviour from the waterfall. 

They looked each other in the eye, their faces masks of indifference, but their gazes betrayed the inferno burning inside of them.

_ Thank you _ , Vegeta thought because he couldn't say the words out loud. Not yet.  _ You saved me. But I still won't yield without a fight. _

All of a sudden, he felt that Piccolo knew what he just though because the Namek inclined his head impalpably.

At the same moment, the drums lapsed into silence. Deafening silence echoed through the arena. 

Their bodies braced themselves at the same time, ready to leap, when the dull thundering of a horn broke the silence.

Alarmed, Vegeta spun around, and looked up toward the royal box. He met his father's gaze who then urgently turned around to Nappa.

Agitated murmuring surged up in the arena, and soared to a roar.

“Freezer has returned.”

Piccolo's serious voice made Vegeta spin around to him. With wide eyes, he stared at the Namek. 

“You sure?”

Piccolo bared his teeth so that his sharp canines flashed in his mouth while staring into the sky, unwavering. “I feel his ki. It's coming closer.” He scrunched up his nose, and looked down at the prince. “You really should learn to detect ki without your scouters. I'll teach you. But now come.”

Surprised, Vegeta flinched back when Piccolo raised his hand against him. He readied himself for an attack, but in the next second, he was encased in a milky light that vanished in a split-second again. Astonished, he looked down at himself. He wore his normal uniform where, a moment ago, he had worn the accursed loin cloth. Piccolo was dressed again as well, but not in a uniform of the royal guards but a purple gi that, as Vegeta's befuddled mind noted, completely inappropriate for that moment of course, complemented the emerald skin perfectly.

Still a little baffled, he followed Piccolo who took to the air. Together, they left the open arena. Vegeta felt his father's presence right behind him.

They stopped in the air above the stadium to get a first impression of their situation.

“There!” a small, black-haired warrior cried who had stopped at Piccolo's side. They followed his outstretched hand, and in the distance, just outside the city, spotted a huge spaceship entering the atmosphere. Involuntarily, Vegeta growled. It was Freezer's ship. 

By now, the king had reached his son's side, and with a thunderous face, summed up the situation for him.

“Then it can't be changed,” the king sighed.

“Attack!” he shouted then, and raced away, every available Saiyan, soldier or not, followed their king into battle. 

 

Masses of Freezer's men stormed from the spaceship onto the rocky lands stretching on one side of the city's outskirts, and immediately collided with countless enraged Saiyans. A fierce fight to the death started. 

With Krillin and Vegeta at his side, Piccolo worked through the masses of Freezer's men. They weren't a real challenge for him, but that many were bothersome even for him. They kept him away from Freezer who he sensed near his ship.

This time, he would do away with the pink lizard once and for all. It would give him the greatest satisfaction when he could finally place his hands around the skinny neck and squeeze tight. Maybe in this universe, Freezer hadn't wiped out his people yet, but in their stead countless others. And one day, his way would lead him to Namek. 

Not that the Saiyans were all that different, but they were, although adamant, merciless warriors, not like the sadistic psychopaths of Freezer's family. They didn't deserve extinction...

There! He could already see Freezer from afar. And... Oho. He'd already taken on his true form.

Piccolo grinned full of dark satisfaction. Someone was afraid of him. 

But it wouldn't do Freezer any good. On Namek all those years ago, Piccolo hadn't stood a chance after the second change, but that had been a long time ago. Since then, he had faced foes of other calibres that he had, even if not defeated, held his ground against for a while. And the most important thing: He'd survived. 

But even before he could come any closer to Freezer, five clowns suddenly barred his way to their master. For a moment, Piccolo watched for Vegeta nervously, but immediately chided himself an idiot since the prince could take care of himself very well. 

“We have to take out the little dumpling,” Krillin's voice suddenly sounded next to him over the noise of battle.

He looked at Krillin, and then scrutinised the chubby warrior with a frown who really didn't fit in with the rest of the Ginyu Force.

“He can stop the time,” Krillin answered Piccolo's unvoiced question in the next moment. “This little trick almost proofed fatal for Gohan and me back then.”

Piccolo nodded in grim realisation. At least now he know the reason for Gohan's desperate call for help that had even reached him on Kaio's world. Involuntarily, he growled.

“You distract him, and I take him out.”

Krillin nodded grimly, and without another word, sped towards the smallest member of the elite troop.

Guldor spotted Krillin, and turned to him, undoubtedly to stop the time. But even before he had the chance to do that, Piccolo suddenly appeared behind him out of thin air. 

The other members of the Ginyu Force who had been occupied with other opponents, spun around when they heard their comrade's scream, and they could only stare aghast but not really surprised at Guldor's head plunging to the ground where it burst messily.

Krillin and Piccolo exchanged a pleased look, then they took care of the rest of the Ginyu Force.

 

With a satisfied growl, Vegeta let the dead soldier slide from his grip.

Until now, they held their ground against Freezer's men well. Blood-boiling rage spurred on every Saiyan able to fight onto the battlefield, determined to free themselves from Freezer's tyrannical reign once and for all.

“What a pleasant surprise meeting you here.”

The victorious smile froze on Vegeta's face, and turned into naked terror for a second, but when he turned around to face Freezer, his face was frozen into a stony mask. He met Freezer's sardonic, victorious smile. 

“Alone at last,” the Icejin grinned. “After all... that insolent Namek cheated me off my victory.” Freezer's smile took on a lascivious, malicious streak as he screwed up his eyes, estimating. “And my price.”

Vegeta bared his teeth. “No matter what happens, I'll never be yours.”

That only elicited a smug chuckle from Freezer. “He's not here to protect you, Vegeta.”

Vegeta suppressed a shocked gasp when Freezer suddenly bridged the distance between them, faster than Vegeta's senses could even follow. He leaned forward, bringing his face closely to Vegeta's. To his shame, the prince was frozen in shock and disgust so that he was forced to endure Freezer's closeness.

“I look forward to our wedding night, my prince,” Freezer snickered gleefully, and an icy shudder ran down Vegeta's back. 

“You're not worthy of him. So piss off.”

Sullen, Freezer looked over Vegeta's shoulder when he heard the new voice, and he met the determined Namek's gaze.

Involuntarily, relief flooded every fibre of Vegeta's body when he heard Piccolo's dark voice behind him.

 

So. That's settled. That ridiculous but incredibly dangerous special unit of Freezer's was history. Maybe now, he could finally turn his attention on their master himself.

For a moment, Piccolo remained in the air, unmoving, to orientate himself. Countless ki-signatures pulsating around him closed in on him from all sides so that it was hard to locate one single ki, even one that was as powerful as Freezer's.

But there. In the distance, a fair way off the spaceship, Freezer's ki flashed up. But... The blood in Piccolo's veins turned to ice. In a split-second, he raced in the direction of the two opponents, his whole being gripped with panic for the prince's welfare. Something he only felt when Gohan was in danger. He completely ignored Krillin's surprised shout behind him. 

It wasn't possible, not in that short amount of time, and then Vegeta of all people, but Piccolo suddenly realised that the thought of losing Vegeta, to see him suffer, was worse than death. If he had to be honest – and he had to by now, if he wanted to or not –, he'd barely endured the prince's suffering back at the waterfall. Somehow, the little arrogant bastard had managed to touch Piccolo's heart without even spending any time together. These feelings were of a completely different nature than the ones he felt for Gohan, but they weren't any weaker. On the contrary...

He heard Freezer before he even saw him, his cackling, mocking laugh hurt Piccolo's ears, and made his blood boil when he registered with the words Freezer said to Vegeta.

He upped his tempo a little more.

 

A horrible, shrill scream pierced the battle noises so that every warrior in the immediate vicinity stilled in alarm. Saiyans as well as Freezer's soldiers, everyone tried to make out the source of the noise so that, for now, they let off each other.

Shocked, all held their breath when they saw what happened, how Freezer's now lifeless, bleeding body slipped from the Namek's fingers only to crash onto the rubble-covered ground.

For a few moments, deathly silence lay over the battlefield.

Trembling in shock, Vegeta stared up to Piccolo, incapable to move even one muscle. Then, his eyes strayed to Freezer's broken body that lay a few feet below the ledge he crouched on, and from where he had watched the brutal, relentless, but actually very short fight.

The shaking of his body got stronger – with excitement and relief. It was over. It was really over. Freezer was dead, and his people were save. To be truthful, Vegetas so relieved that he didn't even feel his pride had been hurt that, first, it hadn't been him – he, his people's sole hope for a Super-Saiyan – who had beaten Freezer, and second, that he had to be saved like a weakling. 

No. Piccolo's victory was much too honourable, and even Vegeta acknowledged the Namek's superiority without much envy. At least, he was worthy to have this power. It would have been a disgrace if Vegeta had been, for example, been bested by a third-class warrior. But Piccolo...

He startled involuntarily when a shadow fell over him, and he tore his fascinated gaze from Freezer's corpse. With big eyes, he looked up to Piccolo who floated before him. 

The Namek scrutinised him critically. “Ev'rything okay?” he asked gruffly, and Vegeta nodded mutely without breaking eye contact to each other.

Hesitant cries of joy started echoing over the plain, the news of victory being spread like wildfire, but Vegeta ignored all around him. His whole being was focussed onto Piccolo.

For a few more moments, he seemed paralysed with awe before this godlike warrior, but then, he rose slowly from his kneeling position, and took a step forward to the edge of the cliff. He and Piccolo were now at eye level. 

Without thinking about it, Vegeta reached out, and decidedly placed his hand into the back of Piccolo's neck. He pulled the Namek forward who didn't put up any resistance. And then, he kissed him. He felt Piccolo freeze in surprise under his touch for a split-second, but then, he relaxed again, and returned the kiss hesitantly.

All at once, all burdens were lifted from his shoulders when his lips touched Piccolo's. It was as if he had finally found peace and his freedom in accepting the Namek as the stronger one. 

The kiss seemed longer to them than it was in reality, and only a few seconds later, they let got of each other again. For a moment, their gazes held fast to each other, then, Vegeta stepped back, and dropped to his knees in front of Piccolo. Under his people's and his family's stunned eyes, he reached for Piccolo's hand and kissed it. Then, he looked up again into Piccolo's baffled eyes who couldn't really grasp what had happened just now. 

“I'm yours,” was what Vegeta's empathic gaze seemed to say. “I surrender to you.” 

Maybe Piccolo had even read these thoughts in Vegeta's mind – because, Nameks were telepaths, right? –, but at any rate, all insecurity and confusion vanished from Piccolo's eyes. He nodded seriously, and squeezed Vegeta's hand who still held fast to the Namek's.

Not only was Freezer's reign over, Vegeta realised in that moment. The times of his unduly pride were over as well which had brought this tournament over them all. Piccolo had defeated the prince of all Saiyans, maybe not in a duel against each other, but by delivering the Saiyans from the greatest threat they had ever faced. Their remaining duel would never take place.

Vegeta returned the soothing pressure of Piccolo's hand.

 

The immediate time after the battle was anticlimactic somehow. The sight of Freezer's corpse alone caused most of his soldiers to flee. A small, stubborn rest remained standing, but when Piccolo advanced on them, they too turned to flee. Most of them didn't reach the spaceship; the king send his warriors after them, and only a few minutes later, the gathered Saiyans watched the burning wreckage of the huge ship. The fire must be visible for miles so that by now, every Saiyan who had remained in the city knew that they had won.

Silently, gripped by a strange, numbing mood, the fighters returned into the city together with the royal family that was flanked by the palace guards and the elite guard.

The king personally escorted Piccolo to his new rooms; not the ones that had been assigned to him for the night before the finals but rooms that were situated in the family wing of the palace. 

Piccolo didn't protest, but nonetheless, he turned around for a moment to throw Krillin a helpless, overwhelmed look. His friend looked like he himself felt, but the former monk nonetheless smiled at him encouragingly.

 

It was unbearable. 

Grimly, Piccolo slipped deeper into his meditation to reign in the unwanted feelings that gripped his unprepared body. He'd never felt anything like it, but these feelings had simply turned up after his victory over Freezer, since Vegeta had surrendered to him in front of the whole kingdom. His realisation during the fight, that the prince meant so much to him, had been the trigger. Since then, he couldn't stop thinking about Vegeta. 

It was like a fire burning him alive, but at the same time, it seemed to warm him from the inside. Piccolo had an inkling what that may mean, but he had never felt any sexual desires by himself. There had been other priorities in his life.

That, since the two weeks that had gone by by now, they saw each other every day, getting to know each other better, didn't make it any better. With every second they spend together, the desire got stronger. Although both of them behaved uncharacteristically shy quite often, Vegeta, who clearly adored the Namek (adding to that that he seemed to be magically drawn towards Piccolo's immense powers), and thus flattered Piccolo in no small measure, sensed the attraction as well. The air around them seemed to sizzle when they were near each other, and they were both amazed that they had pulled themselves together until now instead of giving in to their instincts to simply pounce on each other (and, to be honest, the king's orders to pull themselves together until the wedding ceremony wouldn't have, if the going got tough, stopped them either).

Actually, it wouldn't have been so bad to feel like that if not for the small but significant fact that Piccolo and Krillin had to return into their universe sooner or later. So, it was for the better when Piccolo put a stop to these feelings right from the start. The more they got involved with each other, the bigger would the pain be when the day of goodbye actually came. 

“Don't be ridiculous, Krillin,” he'd brusquely replied to Krillin's suggestion to simply stay. “What's more, who can guarantee that there won't be any paradoxes when this universe's Piccolo will be born one day so that there will be two of us.”

Involuntarily, he flinched when he thought back on Krillin's dry but at the same time knowing look the other had given him for this, yes, quite lame excuse. And yes, Krillin was right, there had been two Trunks, and their universe was still there. He hated it when the former monk was more clever than him. 

 

King Kai eventually contacting them came as a shock. In the middle of training, the two warriors paused to listen to King Kai's words in growing excitement. Fortunately, they were alone at that time – one of the benefits of being engaged to the crown prince; people kept their distance and didn't bother Piccolo. 

“Sorry that I contact you only now, but it took some time to locate you, and obviously, time passed differently here,” King Kai explained apologetically. “But now, we have a plan how to get you back.” 

“About time,” Piccolo grumbled under bated breath. 

“Wow,” Krillin exclaimed. “I didn't think that you can communicate beyond the dimension's borders. I thought only the Kaoshin could do something like that.”

“No,” King Kai ground out through gritted teeth, clearly indignant. “I can do that as well. However. Your friends are looking for the Dragonballs. The dragon will open a portal through which you can come back.” 

“Great! That's good news, eh Piccolo?”

The Namek gritted his teeth, and tried not to let anything show. “Yeah, great.”

Krillin threw Piccolo a compassionate look since he immediately realised what turned down his friend's mood, but as long as the stubborn guy remained unreasonable, and not admitted how much he needed Vegeta, Krillin couldn't help him. He turned his inner voice back to King Kai.

“Let's say, tomorrow noon, your friends will call the dragon. Keep ready.”

“Yeah okay. Thanks,  King Kai!”

And with that, the strange feeling in their hearts indicating King Kai's presence vanished. 

A few minutes passed during which Piccolo and Krillin simply stood in the middle of the training room, mute and frozen to the spot, so that they could digest what they had been told just now – one of them with anticipation, the other... rather not.

Eventually, Piccolo exchanged a long, hard look with Krillin, and he didn't really want to know why his friend seemed to be able to read his true emotions in his face. 

His tightly drawn shoulders sagged, discouraged. 

“I'll go tell Vegeta,” he mumbled, and turned his back on Krillin. “I put it off long enough already.” 

“Piccolo!”

But he ignored the concerned cry of his friend stoically. 

In the hallway, Piccolo reached out with all of his senses for the prince, but among all those countless Saiyans whose kis were immensely similar to each other, he couldn't locate him, not until he let his ki skyrocket so he would stand out from the masses.

Frustrated, Piccolo started to move, and fortunately soon met Radditz.

“Where is he?” Piccolo asked in a strained voice. 

Radditz looked at him with questioning eyes. “Down at the hot springs,” he answered nonetheless. “He doesn't want to be disturbed.”

“It's important. Show me the way.”

“As you wish,” Radditz sighed obediently, and led the way. 

Their way led them deeper and deeper into the bowels of the palace, and Piccolo wondered how far into the interior of the earth they would go until Radditz eventually stopped in front of a double-winged door. 

“Your Highness.” He bowed stiffly, and then left Piccolo be.

Piccolo swallowed nervously, and suddenly had to force himself to push open the heavy wood doors to actually put his plans into action. 

Nonetheless curious, he entered a huge cavern that was sparsely lit by blueish artificial light. Stalagmites and stalactites gleamed in the light's shine as well as countless mineral veins that shot through the cavern's walls and ceiling like glittering strings. A couple of ponds littered the cavern ground. Steam rose from the water that warmed the air. From the door, wooden planks let the way over the unhewn rock towards the hot springs as well as to an alcove in the wall to his right. 

He almost choked on his own breath when he spied Vegeta there. To not to sully the clear spring water, it seemed to be custom to take a shower beforehand. A shower head was fitted to the alcove's wall. The prince stood under the warm spray, his back to Piccolo. In one hand, he held a sponge he slid over his body. Where the sponge caressed Vegeta's skin, thick white foam formed which was washed away immediately again by the water. 

Piccolo swallowed. Irrationally, in that moment, he wished to be the sponge that caressed Vegeta's bronze, still rune-covered skin.

For a couple of long, very long moments, Piccolo couldn't turn his awed gaze from Vegeta's naked body, his plans forgotten completely. 

But then, he shook himself angrily when he remembered why he was here. Determined, he bridged the distance between them. 

The prince heard steps on the wooden planks, and he looked up. His initial surprised, even angry gaze turned into happiness at seeing Piccolo.

Only with an iron will managed Vegeta to suppress the blush that wanted to steal onto his cheeks to be standing in front of Piccolo completely naked. Normally, Saiyans hadn't any sense of modesty, but when he was facing Piccolo, that suddenly changed. 

“Piccolo,” he forced out, appearing completely calm on the outside, and steered in the direction of the next pool with controlled, measured steps. “Why don't you come inside,” he suggested when he slid into the warm water.

Gritting his teeth in determination, Piccolo shook his head. But nonetheless, he followed Vegeta to the edge of the pool, and sat down cross-legged. All of a sudden, the closer he was to Vegeta, his determination to come clean with Vegeta dissolved more and more. Once more, he recalled how comfortable he felt in the young Saiyan's presence, and how well they fit. And, confronted with the sight of Vegeta's bared body, he once more became aware of the sexual attraction that plagued them for weeks now. 

He balled his hands into fists, so tight that his sharp nails pierced his flesh. 

“I have to talk to you,” he eventually brought himself to say which made Vegeta look up in surprise.

For a few long moments, the prince scrutinised Piccolo, but then, he nodded because he felt how serious Piccolo was. Therefore, he left the pool outrightly, raised his ki slightly to dry himself, and then reached for a robe lying next to the pool, his fingers buried tightly in the fabric to hide the sudden nervous shaking of his hands.

Although he didn't want to, Piccolo lowered his gaze, and only dared to look at Vegeta again when the others body was hidden be the robe made from maroon-coloured, heavy silk.

Now wasn't the right time...

Silently, they left the cavern, and returned to Vegeta's rooms through the maze of corridors.

“What did you want to talk about?” the prince asked without preamble after the heavy door had slid shut behind them with a soft hiss. He sat down on his bed, and looked up at Piccolo expectantly.

The Namek stared down at him with a far-away look before he forced himself from his trance to answer Vegeta. “Well... ehm, yes. It's about... about our... wedding.”

Vegeta's expectant look clouded over. Piccolo's serious, even dark tone made it clear that it couldn't be good news. Suddenly insecure, he pulled the maroon fabric tighter around his naked body, shifting nervously on his bed. “Oh,” he breathed, and avoided Piccolo's gaze. “I understand.”

“No. No, you don't understand!” Piccolo exclaimed, advancing on Vegeta. He knelt before him, and loosened Vegeta's hands clawing his robe to take them into his much bigger ones. Beseeching, Piccolo looked up to Vegeta, and tried to meet his eyes. “I should have told you the truth much sooner,” he whispered.

“The truth?” Vegeta decided to look at Piccolo, but he only did so with much effort. His gaze once more clouded over when unbidden tears rose in his eyes which he tried to blink away bravely. What the Hell had come over him?

When Piccolo saw this, it broke his heart, but he couldn't and didn't want to come any closer to Vegeta than he was already. He'd delayed this for much too long already. He hoped that it wasn't too late yet for them both. “The truth is,” he hurried to say, “that Krillin and I come from a parallel universe.”

Vegeta had expected everything, but surely not that. Shocked, he stared at Piccolo with wide eyes. “W-what?! A parallel universe?!”

The Namek nodded. “I know, it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. And therefore... I have to go back. My place isn't here.”

“I-I... understand,” Vegeta whispered again, his voice brittle. By now, he wasn't strong enough to hold back the tears any more, but he didn't even notice them running hotly down his cheeks. They ran down to his chin, and dripped from his face onto Piccolo's hands. The Namek startled, and he had to force himself to keep himself from taking Vegeta into his arms. 

“Is there somebody else?”

“No. But I nonetheless belong in my universe, not in yours. I will have to go back.”

“Okay... then... then I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you saved my people... and me,” the prince pressed forth bravely, disengaged his hands from Piccolo's hold, and stood up only to push past him to flee in the direction of the bathroom. He was ashamed of himself for that. He wasn't even strong enough to fight for their love. 

But Piccolo jumped up, and, without thinking, only obeying his instincts, followed Vegeta with vast steps, and wrapped his arms around the smaller body once he had reached him.

Vegeta froze in his embrace, even his breath only came out in shallow, jerky puffs of air. 

“Not like that,” Piccolo whispered haltingly. “Don't end it like that.”

Vegeta swallowed around the thick lump in his throat, but when he spoke, his voice sounded raw and broken nonetheless. “Don't make it harder on us than it already is.”

Hesitantly, he turned around in Piccolo's embrace until he could look up to the older man. “I love you. Don't you know that?”

Only Piccolo's Namekian hearing enabled him to hear Vegeta's soft words, but the prince wouldn't have needed to say anything; Vegeta's feelings for him were mirrored in his black eyes. Piccolo nodded, breathing shakily. “I love you, too,” he confessed, and in the next moment, he wished not to have said anything.

To finally hear these words from his intended suddenly awakened Vegeta's spirits again. “Then stay,” he begged. Desperately, he pressed against the taller body in front of him, and buried his fists in the purple fabric of Piccolo's gi (since he had beaten Freezer, and the Saiyan's almost worshipped him like a god, Piccolo had adamantly refused to wear this stupid uniform again). “I...” He swallowed, but forced himself to continue. “I can't live without you any more.” He would never have thought that he would show such vulnerability in front of another person, baring his soul and his heart, but he loved Piccolo so much by now that he would do anything to keep the Namek here.

Once more, Piccolo drew in a shaky breath, and stubbornly blinked away the tears stealing into his eyes. 

“Who's making it hard for us now,” he pressed forth, and gently but adamantly prised Vegeta's hands from his chest. “I have to got back,” he explained again. He turned around, and wanted to leave the rooms, now being the one who wanted to flee.

“Then give me one night at least.”

Vegeta's unexpected words stopped him abruptly. After a moment of complete motionlessness, he spun around with wide eyes. Inquiringly, he searched Vegeta's gaze, but all desperation was gone from the young Saiyan's features, and had made way for fierce determination. With sure steps, the prince bridged the distance between them while holding his gaze constantly.

“That's a bad idea,” Piccolo tried to make clear in a helpless attempt to fend Vegeta off.

“I don't care,” Vegeta countered stubbornly, rose on to the tips of his toes, and wrapped his arms around Piccolo's neck to pull down the Namek into a demanding kiss.

Piccolo's resistance melted the moment he felt Vegeta's hungry lips on his and Vegeta's body pressed against his own, his heat he even felt through their clothes. Relieved, but nonetheless desperate, he wrapped his arms around the shorter man as well, and deepened the kiss. After weeks of yearning for each other, this kiss let the dam break that had held them in check until now.

As abruptly as he had initiated the kiss, as abruptly Vegeta let go again after a few moments. He stepped back a couple of steps, twisting from Piccolo's hold. With shaking fingers, the only indicators how nervous he really was, he untied the knot at the belt of his robe, and shoved the heavy fabric from his shoulders. Breathing heavily, he stood in front of Piccolo completely naked now, his gaze holding fast to the Namek. “Do as you please. I'm yours.”

Piccolo's heart lodged itself in his throat suddenly when he saw this breathtaking young man standing before him completely bared once more – and this time, he didn't avert his eyes but looked his fill. With a start, he realised how much trust Vegeta was placing in him if he was willing to reveal himself to Piccolo like that, and to hand himself over regardless of his pride.

How could he refuse such an offer?! His mind screamed at him that he mustn't give in, but his body as well as his heart urged him so violently that it was almost painful physically.

“I...” He swallowed heavily, his throat bone-dry all of a sudden, and he couldn't turn his hungry gaze from Vegeta even for one second. He felt the by now familiar heat spreading through his whole body. “I don't want you to surrender to me,” he clarified. “I want you as you are. Proud, and free, and unmastered.”

Vegeta's eyes widened for a moment in surprise. But then he straightened, his breath suddenly becoming heavier, and his nostrils flared in desire. “That's the reason why I do this of my own free will.”

They looked each other in the eye, a duel of their mutual unbreakable will, until finally, Piccolo nodded, and accepted Vegeta's wish. 

His legs felt like lead, but nonetheless, they carried him the few steps to Vegeta until, once more, they stood closely before each other. 

Like a man possessed, Piccolo bend down to Vegeta, and kissed him passionately again. His arms found their way around the prince's graceful body again, the naked, warm skin under his hands a pleasant shock. His hands wandered down over Vegeta's muscular back, always down, until his hands eventually landed on the firm flesh of Vegeta's muscular ass. Effortlessly, he picked up the prince who instinctively wrapped his legs around Piccolo's waist. 

Without breaking the kiss for even one second, Piccolo carried the Saiyan over to the bed. He settled on the mattress with Vegeta in his arms, and only then did he break the kiss. Breathlessly, he stared down on his lover, taking in centimetre of centimetre of bronze-coloured skin over steel-hard muscles that was spread out before him, their flawlessness only broken by the rusty-red runes that would take a while to fade completely.

Kneeling above Vegeta, Piccolo reached out his hand as if in a trance, and touched the perfect body below him while their gazes still held fast to each other. 

Vegeta trembled over his whole body, and neither could Piccolo suppress the shaking of his own body. Overwhelming nervousness suddenly gripped both men. This here was so far out of both of their experiences that it wasn't surprising that the two normally so fearless warriors trembled with insecurity and nervousness at being faced with these new, unfamiliar experience. They were fully aware that it would be the first time for them both, and all their yearning and sexual tension over the last few weeks wasn't helpful in the least. But at least, they would experience it together.

“Piccolo...” Vegeta whispered, and only Piccolo's sensitive ears made it possible for him to understand the prince's words. “Please...” 

Piccolo didn't really know what Vegeta was begging him for, but he realised that he had to do something. At least for their own sake. He felt that he went crazy if he couldn't touch the prince. To get time to think, he lay down on to Vegeta with his whole weight, and kissed him. That at least was something he was quite good at by now. 

Vegeta moaned into Piccolos mouth when the Namek's taller, heavier body pressed him down into the mattress. He felt protected and secure, not cornered and trapped like he may have thought. Instinctively, he wrapped his legs once more tightly around Piccolo's waist, and couldn't resist to rub himself against the Namek's answering hardness. Looking for purchase, his tail wrapped around Piccolo's right thigh in the desperate attempt to pull him closer. 

Piccolo gasped loudly when Vegeta pressed against him. Fire suddenly seemed to spread through his loins, this, too, a familiar feeling by now, but so much stronger than before.

But suddenly, it wasn't enough. He needed more.

Before Vegeta could ask him to, he concentrated, and in the next second, his clothes vanished.

Both men moaned throatily when naked skin met naked skin.

They clung to each other while, for a long time, they simply enjoyed being so close to each other without any obstacles – and only be it their clothes. 

But at one point, even this simple closeness wasn't enough any more. Piccolo couldn't even put a name to what it was that he suddenly needed more than the air to breath; he only knew  _ that _ he needed it.

But fortunately, even Nameks seemed to have some kind of instincts in that regard because for the first time in his life, Piccolo silenced his mind, and completely surrendered to his instincts.

He bend down to Vegeta to kiss him again. In the meantime, he slipped his hand between their bodies, gripped them both for a moment with playful pressure before he made his way further downwards. Hesitantly, his fingertips touched the tightly closed muscles of Vegeta's opening. The prince made a surprised noise, and instinctively flinched. But then, he relaxed again, and he pushed into Piccolo's questing fingers. The tip of his forefinger slipped into the tight opening with some resistance, and Piccolo had to close his eyes to get back his control. He couldn't imagine how the overwhelming tightness and heat that gripped his finger in that moment would feel around his erection when he buried it inside of Vegeta... 

Slowly, he pulled out his finger again though, stoically ignoring the soft noise of discomfort Vegeta made at that. Although he hadn't actually any idea what he was doing here, his common sense told him that he needed some kind of lubricant to make it easier for them both. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Vegeta. And he would if entered the prince without any preparation.

He concentrated all of his powers – a horrendous feat in his current condition –, and in the next second, he felt cool, sticky liquid run down his fingers. He dared to try anew. This time, his finger met no resistance, and he slid it deeper. He bit his lip, and forgot to breath when he fully realised how tight and hot Vegeta's body really was.

The noises Vegeta now made didn't tell of any pain any more if the fact that the prince pushed back against him eagerly to take him deeper inside was any indication. 

Overcome with decreasing impatience, Piccolo now entered Vegeta with two slippery fingers to stretch him, eventually taking a third. 

“Piccolo...” the prince whimpered, and their gazes met.

Their desire for each other was almost unbearable, and in silent, mutual agreement, they came to an understanding what they both needed in that moment.

Breathing heavily, Piccolo pulled his shaking fingers from Vegeta, and concentrated the last bit of his right senses he still had left on to his powers. He moaned loudly when he spread the newly conjured cool gel on his erection, and he had to pull himself together not to push himself over the edge like that. Piccolo opened his eyes, and looked down onto the Saiyan whose wide eyes, his pupils dilated with lust but also fear, were fixed firmly onto Piccolo's stone-head penis. 

A shudder ran through Piccolo when he saw the expression in Vegeta's eyes, and he suddenly became aware of the hot, trembling body beneath his again, and how much better Vegeta's searing body would feel wrapped around his erection instead of his own hand. 

Determined, he gripped his cock with one hand, the fingers of the other one he buried in the firm flesh of Vegeta's hip. Swallowing heavily when the dripping head met resistance, he snapped his hips forward at the same moment Vegeta arched up to meet him.

Vegeta cried out brokenly when the big, hot shaft impaled him. It hurt, but in a strangely sensual way. Convulsively, he wrapped his tail even tighter around Piccolo's leg while he tried to overcome the pain through deep intakes of breath.

Although his body told him something else, Piccolo remained completely motionless to give Vegeta time to adjust to his girth. And to be truthful; he himself needed these couple of seconds as well to get some control over himself again. Otherwise, he would have come on the spot, overwhelmed by the merciless tightness gripping him like a vice. He looked down onto Vegeta whose eyes were tightly squeezed shut, breathing heavily. Guilt rolled over Piccolo like a wave as he read the obvious pain in the prince's face.

Gently, his arms encompassed the smaller body, and he bend down to kiss Vegeta. Gratefully, the Saiyan returned the kiss, and wrapped his shaking arms around Piccolo's neck. He shuddered when the slight movement trapped his erection more tightly between their stomachs so that slowly, the lust started to replace the pain.

When they broke their kiss, they looked at each other for seemingly endless moments. 

Finally, Vegeta nodded. 

Piccolo returned the nod, and carefully withdrew from the prince before he once more thrust into him. 

Vegeta held tight to Piccolo, and eagerly met him thrust for thrust. 

Their gasps and choked cries as well as the rhythmical slapping of naked flesh on naked flesh echoed through the vast rooms of the prince. 

Trapped in a maelstrom of ecstasy, Piccolo thrust for a last time while firmly moving his hand up and down Vegeta's erection. Then, his whole body froze, and he spilled into the prince.

With a choked cry, Vegeta stiffened as well in Piccolo's arms as his climax swept him away, and in the next second, hot liquid splashed between their stomachs.

Their whole bodies shaking, the two men remained motionless inside each others arms while they tried to recover their breath. But then, Piccolo carefully rolled over onto his side, coming to rest on the mattress while still buried deeply inside Vegeta. Full of trust, Vegeta snuggled up to Piccolo; even his tail once more wrapped around Piccolo's thigh to keep him close.

Piccolo hadn't thought Vegeta for someone to seek such trusting closeness, but on the other hand, he hadn't ever imagined of himself that he would allow such feelings. 

Mutely, Vegeta clung to Piccolo like a lifeline, and Piccolo had an idea why the young prince suddenly became so affectionate. Keeping silent as well, Piccolo tightened his embrace, and buried his face in the crook of his neck. In spite of everything, he would have to return into his universe. But at least right now, he didn't want to think of tomorrow but enjoy the time he had left with Vegeta.

 

The echo of King Kai's voice inside Piccolo's head around noon the next day was like a guillotine coming hurtling down on him without mercy or any chance to stop it.

“Be ready,” the higher being cautioned, but Piccolo didn't really listen to him. His thoughts were with Vegeta whose bed he had wanted to flee from furtively this morning. But once more, the prince had thwarted his plans when he'd woken from his light sleep, the paranoid little bastard.

Like a junkie, he hadn't been able to resist Vegeta's pleading gaze and the temptations of his body so that they had made love one last time, desperate and unrestrained. The memories of these last hours would have to be enough for the rest of Piccolo's life...

Krillin's surprised shout brought Piccolo out of his brooding, and he looked up. Before them, a portal had suddenly opened that only seemed to wait for the two lost friends to step through. 

“Oh my, I'm so glad to finally get home. I can't wait to embrace my family!” Laughing joyously, Krillin moved closer to the portal, and looked up to Piccolo, expecting to see the same anticipation in the Namek's face. But the smile dropped from Krillin's face when he saw Piccolo's sombre and sad expression. Entranced, the Namek stared into the open portal, but his face looked as if this portal wasn't their way home but leading them directly into Hell. 

“Piccolo,” he began, but stopped himself. He wasn't as clever as his Namekian friend, but he had eyes to grasp with only one look what was going on here. 

“I can't go back, Krillin,” Piccolo suddenly whispered in a raw voice. 

Krillin instinctively held his breath in shock when he heard these words spoken aloud, but he wasn't surprised to hear them from Piccolo – after all, since he had realised Piccolo's feelings for Vegeta some time ago, it had been him to suggest staying here to Piccolo. But he suddenly realised that this would mean saying goodbye forever. Painfully, he swallowed his tears, and tried to project a brave face.

“You love him,” he then stated the obvious again just to be really sure that Piccolo was serious. Piccolo nodded. And eventually, Krillin nodded as well in understanding, but that didn't lessen his sadness. 

For the first time, Piccolo looked down at him. Their gazes met. “Please tell Gohan that... that I love him. But he has his own life now, and doesn't need me any more.”

“He'll always need you,” Krillin objected fiercely. “ _ We _ will always need you.”

“Maybe. He made me who I am today, and I'm grateful to him for that. Therefore, I'm sorry to abandon him, but... but now, for the first time in my life, I feel something else than fatherly love for Gohan or friendship for the rest of you. And don't you think that I have the right to be selfish for once in my life, and do what's right for me.” 

Krillin nodded again. He wouldn't have thought to ever hear such words from Piccolo of all people, that the Namek would ever feel like that at all, but he was right. He'd always acted selfless and self-sacrificing, mostly for Gohan's sake. And now, he had actually fallen in love. How could Krillin begrudge him this happiness. 

“I'll miss all of you,” Piccolo suddenly continued, startling Krillin. “It's been an honour to fight by your side.”

Krillin hastily rubbed the tears from his eyes. “I speak in the name of all when I tell you that we will miss you. And that it was the greatest honour for me as well to call you my ally and my friend.” He offered Piccolo his hand who grasped it hesitantly. “You're doing the right thing,” Krillin added, and squeezed Piccolo's hand.

Piccolo answered him with a small smile, only a twitching of the corners of his mouth, but it told Krillin how happy the Namek was with Vegeta. 

Their hands let go of each other. Krillin threw Piccolo a last, encouraging smile, then, he turned around, and stepped through the portal. For a few seconds, the hole in the dimension's barrier flickered, then it started getting smaller until it was gone completely.

Motionless, Piccolo stood there as if frozen, and stared onto the spot where only a few seconds ago, the way back into his universe had been opened for him.

Not home though. Not any more.

This was his home from now on. With Vegeta. 

He knew he would always miss his friends, and especially Gohan of course, but this longing was nothing in comparison what he felt for Vegeta. He couldn't and didn't want to live without the arrogant little monkey prince any more. Only a few months ago, he wouldn't have thought it possible himself that he would ever feel like that. But, after all, he had thought the same when he had trained Gohan.

And before you knew it, you had arrived at this point here and now.

And it was alright like that. 

He realised that he trembled nonetheless, with shock, grief, probably all of them together.

But then, he snapped out of his trance, and finally accepted the thought to start into a new life. A life at Vegeta's side.

Concentrated, Piccolo closed his eyes, suddenly hell-bent on finding the prince, and searched for his ki. It wasn't hard to locate the prince in only a few seconds since his ki was fluctuating at the moment wildly. Piccolo took to the air, and followed Vegeta's trail.

He followed the ki-signature until he reached the small pond where Vegeta had wanted to take his life.

These events suddenly seemed to have happened so long ago, not only a few weeks ago. Gripped with a sudden liberating relief, he touched down at the shore at Vegeta's side. The prince startled, and looked up at him with big, tear-filled eyes.

“P-piccolo,” he whispered in disbelief, and hastily wiped the tears from his eyes. But even after his sight had cleared again, Piccolo still stood before him. 

The Namek knelt down, and softly caressed Vegeta's cheek. 

“But...” Vegeta's gaze frantically flitted between Piccolo and the direction the palace lay in. 

“I couldn't do it,” Piccolo explained, shrugging. “I love you too much to just up and leave you.”

“Does... does that mean you... you'll stay?” 

Piccolo nodded, and met Vegeta's hopeful gaze with the utmost certainty. 

“If you want it as well, I will stay at your side for the rest of our lives...”

“I do.”

** End **

 


End file.
